


Titanic 2.0

by EdgyYoungBlood



Category: Titanic (1997)
Genre: (everyone is gay except Rose), Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bottom!Jack, Everyone Is Gay, Jack is sort of edgy, M/M, Nobody Dies, Smut, So much smut, The year is 2022, and did i mention gay stuff, it starts off kinda kinky but i swear it gets fluffier, lots of seme/uke energy, ship never even sinks, we just have a lot of drama
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-06
Updated: 2019-09-24
Packaged: 2019-11-12 19:02:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 48,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18016595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EdgyYoungBlood/pseuds/EdgyYoungBlood
Summary: A handsome, closeted billionaire runs into a troublesome, but beautiful, 22 year old art student on a modern replica of Titanic set to sail in 2022. Instead of the ship sinking, a more scandalous love affair begins between Jack and Cal. A lot is at stake for our new OTP. Will they end up together or will it sink like the actual Titanic? Read to find out!





	1. Interlude

**Author's Note:**

> Like I mentioned in the summary, this is a modern AU based in 2022. The story begins on the night the ship would have sunk in the original, so assume that up until this point everything happened as it did in the film (but of course a modern version). This first chapter is a little kinky, but I promise there is fluffy stuff and slightly tamer smut to come. Expect at least one smut scene per chapter. If you don't like gay smut I suggest not reading this fic lol. Also, if you really don't like smut but like the Jack/Cal ship (I've taken the liberty of naming it Dawsley), you can usually skip over the smut scenes.

Cal crossed his legs and took one last drag of his cigarette as the front door opened and Jack was dragged into the room. 

“I can walk on my own, let go of me!” Jack jerked, but couldn’t escape his captor’s firm grip on his upper arm. Cal chuckled at the sight of Jack’s flushed cheeks and furrowed brow. 

“You’re cheeky, aren’t you?” Cal teased. Jack glared at him in response, nostrils flaring.

“Oh, come on,” Cal continued. “You think you’re adorable, don’t you?” 

Cal stood up from his seat and stood in front of Jack. Jack continued to glare at him with piercing blue eyes. Cal smirked, _This will be fun,_ he thought.

“I can take care of him from here,” Cal’s servant released Jack’s arm with a heavy shove, then he nodded at Cal chastely before exiting the room.

Jack huffed and steadied himself, broadening his shoulders and trying to stand up taller when he looked back at Cal. “What do you want?” he demanded coldly. “Haven’t you already done enough?”

Cal laughed out loud. “I should be asking you the same, Jack. Do you have any idea how much trouble you’ve caused me? How this looks?”

Jack rolled his eyes, “You only think about yourself, you prick.”

Cal ignored Jack’s insult, “I don’t know why I bother, boys like you cause trouble for a living. I’m sure you get off on it,”

“E-excuse me?” Jack’s vision clouded with anger. He stepped forward, wishing he could punch Cal in his smart mouth. “You don’t know anything about me,” he spat.

Cal stared Jack down daringly, “Not yet,”

_Not yet?_ As much as Cal’s motives bewildered him, Jack refused to back down and continued to glare at Cal.

Cal sighed, “You’re too stubborn. Sit down,” he motioned toward the couch. 

Jack glanced back at the couch, then back at Cal. He didn’t want to show any submission by sitting down and following orders. He wanted to stand his ground like a man. 

“Go on,” Cal prodded, growing impatient.

Jack sat down on the very edge of the couch, his body tensed and ready spring back up at any second. He tugged at the handcuffs behind his back, “Aren’t you going to…” 

Cal grinned and shook his head, “No,”

Jack rolled his eyes impatiently, “Cal, what’s this about? What do you want to say to me?”

“I want to cut you a deal,” Cal said, leaning forward. 

“Cal…”

“I’ll drop all charges, make sure you get off free, like none of this ever happened. And I’ll give this back to you,” Cal held up Jack’s sketch book and waved it back and forth tantalizingly, watching Jack’s eyes widen, “Since I can tell it’s so important to you,”

Jack bit his lip, tempted by Cal’s offer. But he wasn’t stupid, he knew there had to be a catch. Cal wasn’t the charitable type. “What do you want from me, though?” Jack asked.

Cal smirked. “I would ask you to promise to stay away from me and my fiancee, but I know I can’t get rid of you that easily. So, instead, I’ll let you do whatever you please after tonight. If you want to continue to court her, then be my guest. But for now, I get to do whatever I please with you,” Cal sauntered over to the couch and sat down next to Jack.

Jack blinked, trying to wrap his mind around what Cal had just proposed. It sounded like a good deal, but what did Cal mean by _whatever I please with you_? Before Jack could move away, but Cal wrapped an arm around his waste and pulled him closer until their thighs touched. Jack looked up at Cal’s stone cold expression, his heart fluttering. “What are you doing?” he asked hoarsely.

Cal sighed and glanced down at the handcuffs restraining Jack, “Either way, it doesn’t look like you have a choice,”

Jack’s breath caught in his throat. _What’s he going to do to me?_

Cal reached up and ran his fingers through Jack’s hair and Jack flinched away in disgust. “Don’t touch me, you sick bastard,” he hissed. 

Cal laughed, his eyes flashing with excitement, “So you’re going to play hard to get, huh?”

Jack tried to jump away from Cal, but Cal was faster, grabbing Jack by the arm and puling him back down. Cal yanked Jack’s hair back with his free hand, hard enough to make tears sting Jack’s eyes. “Let go of me!” Jack refuted, fighting Cal’s hold.

“The door is locked, the halls have been cleared, and the door is guarded. There’s nowhere for you to run, Jack,” Cal said softly into Jack’s ear. His warm breath on Jack’s neck made Jack squirm. “Scream if you want, but nobody’s going to come for you,”

Jack’s heart was hammering in his chest. “Are you really going to fight me like this? Why don’t you take these off of me so we can do it like real men,” Jack spat.

“Silly boy,” Cal mocked. He pushed Jack down onto the couch and hovered on top of him. “That’s not what we’re going to do,”

Before Jack could ask any questions, Cal pressed his lips against Jack’s. Jack froze in shock, his mind going a million miles a minute.

Cal pried Jack’s mouth open with his tongue and pushed himself in between Jack’s lips. Cal tasted like sweet alcohol and smelled like expensive cologne and cigarettes, it was intoxicating. After several seconds of resisting, Jack closed his eyes and moved his tongue along with Cal’s. The two of them kissed passionately until Jack was hot and panting. Cal pulled back and took in Jack’s lustful expression and flushed cheeks. 

“Cal…what are you…” Jack stammered breathlessly.

“Sssh,” Cal started unbuttoning his shirt and Jack felt himself twitch at the sight of his toned abdomen. Embarrassed and frustrated with himself, he turned away. _I can’t let him think I’m interested…because I’m not. I’m not. I hate Cal. I hate him…_

Cal began unzipping his pants and Jack couldn’t help but peek. Jack gulped and immediately looked away again. _Oh, fuck, he’s huge._

“Stop pretending you don’t like it,” Cal said tantalizingly, leaning on top of Jack again and unbuttoning Jack’s shirt. Jack refused to look up at Cal, pressing his cheek into the pillow. 

Cal slipped his hand into Jack’s pants and started stroking his semi-hard cock. Jack gasped, his body reacting positively while his brain screamed in horror. “We’re going to have a lot of fun, Jack,” Cal said in a smooth, deep voice.

Jack whimpered, wishing his body would stop enjoying Cal’s hands on him. Cal pulled Jack’s pants off, leaving him fully exposed, and gazed down at him hungrily. He’d been fantasizing about this since he first saw Jack. He couldn’t help it, the boy was exactly his type.

Jack squeezed his eyes shut, finally accepting what was about to happen, but trying to disassociate from the reality of it as much as possible. Jack felt Cal’s weight on top of him again, pushing himself in between his legs. Cal cupped Jack’s face in his hand and starting kissing him deeply again. Jack melted into the kiss, letting himself forget about how wrong this was and how much he hated Cal.

Cal moved down and started kissing Jack’s neck and jawline and Jack let out a strangled moan. Cal, fueled by the sound of Jack’s moan, moved his hand down Jack’s chest and started pinching his nipple. Jack yelped, never having been teased there and finding it surprisingly pleasurable.

“Have you never had sex with another man before?” Cal asked, somewhat surprised. Being a young, attractive boy studying abroad in Paris, he’d pegged Jack as the adventurous type.

Jack groaned, “No…I’m-I like men, but I’ve never…”

“I get to be your first then,” Cal was delighted by the thought of taking Jack’s “virginity.” He’d only ever taken male prostitutes, never anyone as innocent as Jack.

The thought of Cal taking him made Jack’s heart beat faster. He came in here ready to fight Cal if he had to, and where was he now? Lying underneath him in complete submission. Jack was mortified by his own weakness. He wanted to push Cal off, demand to be let go, but instead he let Cal keep kissing him, unable to pull away or stop reciprocating. 

Cal knew that Jack was getting restless, so he acted fast before Jack could change his mind and start fighting him again. While distracting Jack with a kiss, Cal reached behind one of the decorative pillows on the couch for the small bottle of lube that he’d hidden there in preparation for bringing Jack in to “talk.”

Jack’s eyes shot open as he felt Cal’s fingers entering him. “Wait…” he gasped, but Cal was already inside, stretching him out in preparation.

Jack made a distressed sound in the back of his throat. The sensation burned, but felt good at the same time, as much as he didn’t want it to. Cal pushed a third finger in and started kissing Jack’s neck heatedly again. Eventually, Cal found the perfect angle, making Jack scream despite himself.

Cal laughed deviously against Jack’s neck. Jack’s skin was soft and sweet and his desperate attempts to conceal his arousal were adorable. He didn’t know if he could wait any longer, but he kept fingering Jack to get him lubed and ready for the final event.

“I think you’re ready, pet,” Cal pulled his fingers out of Jack, and Jack whimpered in protest. “I want you to turn around,” Cal ordered.

Jack opened his eyes and gave Cal a thirsty look before sitting up. Cal helped move Jack so that he was on his knees with his head resting on the arm of the couch and gazed eagerly at Jack’s bound wrists, glad that it worked out this way.

“Stay still,” Cal gripped Jack’s hips and thrust himself inside. Jack immediately screamed.

“Wait, wait, I can’t…” he panted. 

“Just relax…” Cal pushed inside Jack’s tight opening as far as he could.

Jack groaned in pain, “Cal! Stop it, I can’t-I can’t take it,” 

Tears welled up in Jack’s eyes and spilled down his hot cheeks as his whole body screamed in pain with Cal’s movements. He knew this would be painful, but he had no idea that it would be this excruciating. “It’s too big,” Jack whimpered.

“Jack, if you relax it won’t hurt as much,” Cal said patiently, although he was itching to thrust into Jack’s ass as hard as he could.

Jack sniffled and tried to take a deep breath. Cal slipped out and pushed back in slowly, making Jack shudder. Using every ounce of self control he had, Cal continued at a slow pace until he felt Jack start to relax. 

“Am I still hurting you?” Cal asked, pausing to read Jack’s body language.

Jack whimpered, “D-don’t stop,” 

Cal chuckled in satisfaction and quickened his pace, feeling Jack shudder underneath him. After several more thrusts Jack started moaning shamelessly. 

Hearing Jack moan made Cal victorious. Not even an hour ago Jack hated Cal with every ounce of his being, and now he was bent over and receiving him enthusiastically.

“Take it like the slut you are, Jack,” Cal growled. 

In any other context, Jack would be furious at Cal for verbally degrading him, but right now he couldn’t bring himself to let it bother him. In fact, although he hated to admit it, it added to his excitement. 

“ _I’m…I’m going to…”_ Jack gasped.

“Not yet,” Cal grabbed a fistful of Jack’s soft blonde hair and lifted his head off of the couch and Jack moaned softly in response. “Flip over. I want to see your face when I make you cum,” 

Cal pulled out of Jack, but before he flipped him over he hesitated. “Since you’ve been such a good little slut,” he reached down to retrieve the key to Jack’s handcuffs out of his shirt pocket, which was strewn about the floor.

Cal let Jack’s wrists free and then hastily flipped him over onto his back. Jack wrapped his legs around Cal’s waist and wrapped his arms around Cal’s neck as Cal entered him.

Jack moaned as if he’d been waiting years as opposed to a few seconds. Cal knew he’d made the right decision by turning Jack around, because Jack’s lusty facial expressions were priceless.Cal leaned in and started kissing Jack’s neck as he fucked him, making sure to leave some marks. Jack grabbed desperately at Cal’s shirt as he approached climax, and the sensation of Jack writhing in pleasure underneath him was driving Cal over the edge too.

“ _Oh god, oh god…f-fuck,”_ Jack panted, his eyes fluttering.

“Come on, bitch,” Cal growled into Jack’s neck, pulling his hair and digging his fingers into Jack’s soft thigh. 

“ _Cal!_ ” Jack screamed as his back arched and he came all over his stomach.

Hearing Jack moan out his name pushed Cal to climax as well. “Fuck, Jack,” he breathed as he filled Jack up with his own cum.

Jack moaned again at the sensation of being filled with semen, a copious amount too. Jack then closed his eyes and nestled into the couch, his limbs feeling heavy. He whimpered as Cal pulled out of him and moved in to kiss him. This time Jack didn’t hesitate to kiss Cal back, in fact it felt natural, comfortable, warm…Cal’s hand caressing his cheek, Jack hugging him closer…it was too easy to forget how wrong this was.

Cal pulled back and Jack opened his eyes. The dopamine was fading and reality was finally settling in. _What have I done?_

“Here, put your clothes back on,” Cal’s voice was void of all the emotion that had been present minutes before. Jack forced himself up, wincing at the soreness between his legs. 

Cal had already put his pants back on and gotten up to pour himself a drink. His body language was neutral, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Jack slowly dressed himself, feeling like a cheap prostitute. How could he have let Cal humiliate him like that?

Once Jack was dressed, he stood up to leave, turning to Cal one last time. Cal nodded at him, “See you around, Jack,”

“Um, bye then,” Jack stammered, unsure of what else to say. He turned away slowly and made his way towards the door, feeling a growing emptiness in the pit of his stomach.

“Wait,” Cal called. Jack turned around expectantly as Cal embraced him in a long, passionate kiss. 

“I do hope I see you again soon,” Cal whispered against Jack’s cheek.

Jack didn’t know what to say, or how to feel. “Bye, Cal,” he said hoarsely, opening the door to see himself out. 


	2. Weak

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, friends! Thank you for commenting and leaving kudos, I can't even begin to tell you how happy that makes me. Anyway, here's chapter 2! This one is a bit longer and you finally get a little bit of background on Jack and this modern AU. There is smut near the end of this chapter but all in all it's much less kinky. Hope you like! I totally appreciate kudos and comments, so don't be shy and leave me some feedback (as long as it's nice). P.S. I'm planning on uploading weekly, but if life happens and I need more time I'll be sure to let y'all know and I won't just leave you hanging.

Jack woke up with a throbbing headache and sore limbs (especially those of his lower body). Groaning, Jack rolled onto his side and pulled the covers over his head. He didn’t want to remember what he’d done the previous night. In fact, he’d immediately tried to erase the shameful memories with alcohol in the late hours after his encounter with Cal. Unfortunately, alcohol was a temporary escape, and one that only added to his guilt the morning after. 

Jack pulled his cell phone out from under his pillow to check the time. He blinked in disbelief to see that he’d slept in until a quarter to three and had five missed calls from Rose. Jack shoved his phone back under his pillow and pressed his palms into his eyes. _What am I going to do?_ He thought in a panic, _I can’t tell her that I had sex with Cal…but I don’t think I can pretend like nothing ever happened last night…She’s probably worried sick, too…_

Jack’s heart pounded and his throat tightened with anxiety. It had been awhile since he’d felt this trapped in a bad situation. Jack didn’t like to place restrictions on himself, as long as he wasn’t hurting other people. However, last night he had not only given himself up to the mercy of another man, but he’d engaged in something that could do a great deal of damage to his lover. Jack never considered himself the cheating type, he was never conservative about his sexuality, but he was also somewhat shy. Needless to say, Jack wasn’t keen on engaging in sexual activity (of any sort) with someone he didn’t have romantic feelings for. He knew he was an attractive man, and received plenty of attention from women, but rarely ever acted on it. One might say he was too reserved, or even oblivious, but he couldn’t bring himself to take advantage of other people that way. But something about giving up control and letting someone else take him felt different. 

The door to his room swung open unexpectedly, causing Jack to jump. In strutted his best friend, Fabrizio. Jack sighed in relief when he realized that it was just him.

“Hey, sleeping beauty, how’s your hangover?” Fabrizio asked teasingly, flopping down onto the edge of Jack’s bed dramatically. “I brought you some coffee,” he held out a Starbucks cup and Jack sat up eagerly to take it, wincing slightly from his soreness. “I was hoping you’d be awake by now so you could drink it as opposed to me throwing it on your face,” 

Jack smirked, taking a long gulp of the sweet, frothy latte. “Thanks, you fucking brat,”

“What happened last night?” Fabrizio asked. Jack kept drinking his coffee and started down at the sheets. “You disappeared all evening and when you came back you looked a mess and wanted to get wasted for no reason. I didn’t want to discourage you, but it was a little sus,” 

“Well,” Jack didn’t know where to start, he didn’t even know if he should be telling Fabrizio, who was known for his big mouth, about what had happened. However, at the same time, he felt the need to confide in someone about it, and his best friend was the safest option. 

“I-um,” Jack began at the beginning of the previous night’s events, his friend listening with intrigue the whole time. Fabrizio was a sucker for drama, but he had no idea what he was about to hear at the end of the story.

“So I was dragged back up to his room, and then we…” Jack paused, physically unable to form the words.

Fabrizio leaned forward so fastJack nearly spilled his drink, “What? You guys did what?” by the tone of his voice, Jack could already tell he already suspected the answer. 

Jack sighed, “We had sex,”

Fabrizio squealed. “YOU HAD SEX WITH THE SEXY BILLIONAIRE? OH MY GOD, Jack I’M SO PROUD OF YOU!” he laughed and embraced Jack in an unbreakable hug. 

“Wh-Fabrizio, you’re missing the point,” Jack pried Fabrizio off of him.

“You finally experimented with a guy, Jack! Did you like it? Was he…” Fabrizio motioned with his hands to symbolize size. 

Jack groaned and turned away in disgust. “Inappropriate, Fabrizio,” 

“Come on, give me details, pleeeeaaase,” Fabrizio begged. 

“You’re horrible! This isn’t good! He’s a terrible person and I shouldn’t have done what I did with him,” Jack said, his voice trembling.

Fabrizio sighed, “Jack, it’s not like you were officially dating Rose. And it sounds like it was a one night stand, or hate sex, so it’s not like you’re _in love_ with him or anything. Don’t be such a prude,”

Jack bit his tongue to keep himself from spouting out something that he didn’t mean. However, Fabrizio did have a point. As terrible as he felt about it, it would surely never happen again. And Cal even gave Jack permission to continue on with Rose as he pleased. It would be possible to forget it ever happened and move on with their lives…

“Okay, well…” Jack sighed, feeling gross for giving his friend the juicy details like high schoolers playing kiss and tell. “He was…well-endowed, and definitely experienced,”

Fabrizio giggled. “Do you think he’s gay?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” Jack said defensively. “I mean, he could be bi,”

Fabrizio gasped and clasped Jack’s wrist, coming to a realization. “Jack, this could be great news for you,”

“How?” Jack asked, dumbfounded. 

“What if Cal is actually gay? Even if he’s bi, I doubt that will go over smoothly with _his_ crowd. Now you know his dirty little secret. You can use that as leverage against him,”

“Leverage for what? Rose?” Jack asked.

“Duh!”

Jack bit his lip, considering the option. While it would feel good to threaten Cal with such sensitive information, he knew he could never go through with something that devious. 

“I don’t know…that feels…wrong,” Jack said.

“Fabrizio scoffed, “Jack! Now is not the time to be nice! What about what he did to you? He got you arrested for a crime you didn’t even commit. Surely, you can expose him for being gay,”

“Yes, but to prove it I would have to admit that I slept with him. I don’t care who knows that I’m bi, but there has to be some way he can turn that around on me. After all, he wouldn’t have done this if he didn’t think he could get away with it,” Jack explained. 

“Shit, you’re right,” Fabrizio slumped his shoulders in disappointment and continued brainstorming.

Jack sighed and rubbed his temples. “I don’t even think it’s worth doing anything about,”

“Can you really just forget about it, though?” Fabrizio prodded. But he was right, Jack thought with his heart more than his head. There was no way he’d be able to forget about this incident.

“What do I do, then?” Jack sighed in distress. “I can’t tell Rose about it…I can’t,”

“Then don’t. Not yet, anyway. Maybe you should talk to him first. See what his intentions were, maybe get some more leverage against him. You deserve answers,” Fabrizio sat up straighter and therapized Jack like a relationship professional, as single best friends tend to do. 

Thinking about seeing Cal again made Jack’s stomach churn with anxiety, but he knew he needed closure before he could move on. “Maybe I will,” he said confidently.

“But first,” Fabrizio stood up to leave the room. “You should call your girlfriend. She hunted me down this morning and asked me a million questions about you and what happened last night. At least calm her down so she doesn’t get desperate,”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Jack pulled out his phone and started to call Rose.

 

Rose was ecstatic to hear from Jack, which only added to his guilt.

“Oh my god, Jack! Are you okay? What happened last night? What did they do to you?” 

“I’m totally fine,” Jack forced an easy-going tone. “They let me go, chalked it up to a misunderstanding. I left really late, so I came back to my room and crashed because I was exhausted, I’m sorry I didn’t call you first.” Jack felt sick lying to her, but he knew that for now it was better than telling her the truth, which would only cause her pain. 

Rose sighed, “Thank god, I was so worried that they kept you overnight. They didn’t even let me back in our suite, I spent the night with my mom,”

“That’s odd,” Jack forced a laugh. “I guess they were just trying to keep you safe from a bad influence like me,” he joked. 

“Well, I don’t care what they think. I’m going to leave Cal for good before we get home and then none of this will matter anymore,”

“Good,” Jack said, canceling his discomfort behind optimism. “You deserve much better than him,” he added quietly.

“Like you,” 

Guilt ate at Jack’s stomach and he swallowed back a knot in his throat. “Sure,” he choked out. 

“Are you sure you’re okay, Jack? You sound off,” 

“Yeah, of course I’m okay,” Jack tried to reassure her. “I’m just still a bit shaken up,”

“Do you want me to come down and visit you?” Rose asked eagerly.

“N-no, I think I’d better just rest, and you should too. Don’t worry about me,” Jack answered quickly.

“Okay…” Rose said quietly. She was obviously suspicious, but Jack didn’t know how else to dissuade her from coming to see him. He wasn’t ready to face her yet. Lying over the phone was one thing, but looking her in the eyes and lying in person…

“I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” Jack said softly.

“Okay, Jack. I’ll see you,” Rose answered hesitantly. She wasn’t stupid, she knew something was up, but what that something was remained a mystery to her.  

* * *

 

That evening, Jack got dressed and ready to face Cal again. He’d never felt this twisted up about Cal before. He never cared about what Cal thought of him, or said about him, but now the thought of his piercing brown eyes surveying him made Jack’s heart shudder. 

“Stop being so pathetic,” he whispered to himself in the mirror. He’d rehearsed what he’d say to Cal in his head countless times. He would march into the room and demand answers. There would be nothing submissive about it this time, after all, Jack was the bigger man here. Maybe not in size or age or wealth, but definitely in maturity and morality. Cal had no right to demean him, and Jack would not allow it tonight.

Jack marched out of his room confidently and made his way up to the top floor to Cal’s penthouse suite. He knocked on Cal’s door assertively and waited with his arms crossed and his back as straight as a ruler. 

Cal opened the door within seconds. When he saw Jack in the doorway a smirk played at the corners of his lips and he raised an eyebrow in intrigue. “Hello, Dawson,”

“Let me in.” Jack demanded. Cal stepped back and let Jack stride passed him and into the living room. Cal watched Jack with amusement, his cocky attitude was quite adorable. He wondered how long it would take to break him this time.

“Do you want a drink?” Cal asked, walking past Jack to pour himself a scotch. He could feel Jack’s glare burning into his back and he stifled a chuckle. Seeing Jack angry was like seeing a toddler angry, not threatening at all and kind of cute. 

“N-no, Cal, I want to talk,” Jack answered seriously, crossing his arms even tighter across his chest.

Cal poured a second glass anyway. “About?” he turned to Jack and handed him the second drink.

Jack stared at the glass for a second before snatching it out of Cal’s hands and downing it in one sip.

“Take it easy there,” Cal laughed. “Why don’t you sit down with me, you seem nervous,”

Jack glared at Cal, “I’m not falling for that again,” he growled.

Cal laughed out loud, “Just sit down, Jack,” he sat down and patted the seat next to him expectantly. 

Jack hesitated, but eventually sat down on the couch as far away from Cal as possible. “Can we talk about it now?” he asked impatiently. He knew the longer he stayed here the more likely he’d fall victim to Cal’s persuasiveness again, and he didn’t quite trust himself to resist.

“What do you want to talk about, Jack?” Cal leaned back, crossed his legs, and draped an arm over the back of the couch.

“What happened last night?” Jack asked.

“Do you not remember?” Cal chuckled. “We had sex,” 

Their eyes met as Cal said the words, and memories from the previous night flashed before Jack’s mind: _Cal’s warm eyes watching him intently, Cal’s lips against his neck, Cal’s hands on his thighs…_ Jack felt his pulse quicken and heat rush to his face and he immediately tried to divert his thoughts away from last night.

Cal reached forward and tenderly lifted Jack’s chin, forcing Jack to hold his gaze. “Have you been thinking about me today?” he asked smoothly. _Cocky bastard,_ Jack thought.

Jack clenched Cal’s wrist and tried to push his arm away unsuccessfully. _Why is he so strong?_ Jack thought in dismay.

“Not at all, you self-absorbed asshole,” Jack snapped.

Cal laughed in disbelief. The truth was written all over Jack’s blushing cheeks. “Really? I thought I showed you a good time, Dawson,” 

Jack rolled his eyes. “You wish,” he muttered.

“Oh, so you’re saying you didn’t enjoy it?” Cal leaned in closer and moved his thumb across Jack’s lips. Jack stiffened his shoulders but didn’t pull away. “That’s not what it sounded like last night,” Cal whispered, his lips closing in on Jack’s.

Jack let Cal kiss him for a few seconds until he remembered why he’d come. He pushed Cal away, “S-stop!”

“What’s wrong, Jack, you don’t want to do it again?” Cal said, his voice smooth and tantalizing.

“No. No, I don’t,” Jack forced out through his teeth. “I want to know why,”

“Why, what?” Cal asked, playing dumb.

“Why did you—are you—trying to fuck me?” Jack asked, forcing himself to meet Cal’s eyes. “What kind of power move is this?”

Cal was quiet for a few seconds, staring into Jack’s baby blue eyes which pleaded him to tell the truth. “Jack, have you looked in a mirror recently?” he sighed.

“What—of course…”

“You’re beautiful, Jack. Do you have any idea? I’m honestly surprised that another man hasn’t already snatched you up, especially in Paris,” Cal said. 

Jack blinked, taken by surprise at Cal’s honesty. He was expecting more game-playing and prodding to get an acceptable answer out of him. He also wasn’t expecting to hear a real compliment come out of Cal’s mouth. 

“Um, thank you…” Jack said slowly, still processing it. 

“I don’t like women, Jack,” Cal admitted. “As I’m sure you may have suspected,”

Jack’s eyes widened. This was exactly what he came to hear, but instead of feeling proud or superior, he felt even more vulnerable.

“I’ve been using Rose as a cover, but I was never planning on going through with the marriage, at least not for very long. I’m waiting for the right time…”

“You know it’s the 21st century,” Jack interjected. “It’s not like you’ll be burned at the stake for coming out of the closet. Plus, you’re already one of the richest men in the world, so who would dare hurt you?” 

Cal sighed, “Jack, you’re so innocent,”

Jack scoffed, “I’m not innocent at all.”

“I’m at risk of being taken off of my father’s will, losing my rights to the company, and then where would I be?”

Jack never thought he’d see Cal so raw and honest, especially not with him. He thought Cal was incapable of emotion, like a sociopathic computer. Jack didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know if he should try to reassure Cal or keep pressing on him. 

“It’s just the way things are. I’m hoping to wait until my father kicks it and by then I wouldn’t have to fake it for anyone,” Cal said casually, taking another sip of his scotch. “But I’m not going to sit here and complain about my life to _you_ ,” he added coldly.

“Meaning?” Jack questioned. 

Cal looked back at him and scoffed, answering Jack’s question. Jack lost the sympathy he’d just felt for Cal. “You’re extremely rude,” he said matter-of-factly.

“I’m not the one who barged into your room unannounced,” Cal challenged.

Jack shook his head. “You’re ridiculous,” 

Cal chuckled and set his drink down. 

“What’s so funny?” Jack asked defensively.

Cal leaned in closer to Jack again, “You’re really something, Jack,” he said, tracing Jack’s cheek and jawline with his fingertips. Jack’s breath caught in his chest. “Are you finished asking me silly questions now?”

Jack didn’t answer. He wasn’t even sure what he wanted to hear in the first place. 

Cal took Jack’s silence as confirmation. He moved in and started kissing Jack on the lips tenderly. Jack reached up and grabbed Cal’s shirt as a halfhearted attempt at refusal. Cal stroked Jack’s hair and slipped a hand up Jack’s shirt, making Jack draw in a quick breath.

“Let’s take this to the bedroom,” Cal said.

Jack nodded despite himself, and Cal immediately scooped him up bridal style and headed towards the bedroom.

“Hey! Put me down!” Jack exclaimed, punching Cal’s back. Cal laughed in response to Jack’s feeble attempt to deter him. “Cal!”

Cal slammed the door behind them and tossed Jack onto the bed like a sack of flour. Jack glared up at Cal in annoyance, “Prick,” he muttered under his breath.

Cal ignored Jack’s comment and pulled off his shirt. “Come on, Jack, take your clothes off,” he ordered,

Jack began doing as Cal said without further question. _This better be worth it_ , he thought as he undressed himself. He had no doubt that he’d feel terrible about himself the next morning, but in the moment he was far past the point of return. 

 

“ _Ah! Sh-shit, Cal, that hurts!”_ Jack exclaimed. Cal had definitely been holding back the night before, and that was becoming increasingly apparent to Jack. Even though Jack was free of any restraints this time, Cal was still dominating him as if he were restrained. 

“You’re taking it quite well for only your second time. Weren’t you sore after last night?” Cal wasn’t even out of breath. _Damn, how experienced is he?_

“ _Mmn,_ ” Jack moaned. “Of course I was,” he said behind a clenched jaw. Cal squeezed Jack’s hip with one hand and pressed the small of his back down with the other. Jack’s skin was damp with sweat but still soft. Cal couldn’t get enough of it.

Cal flipped Jack onto his back, taking him by surprise. Cal pushed Jack’s thighs back and entered him at a new angle. Jack screamed, still not used to all of his body’s pressure points. Before long, Jack’s body was shuddering and Cal’s thrusts were becoming more erratic. 

“ _Ah! Cal!”_ Jack screamed as he came.

“You’re mine, Jack. You’re mine…” Cal squeezed Jack’s thighs as he thrust into him one last time and finished. Jack moaned at the feeling of Cal cumming inside of him. He closed his eyes and rested his head on the pillow as Cal leaned into a deep kiss in which Jack found himself drowning in. 

* * *

Jack had done it again. He went to Cal for answers, but ended up underneath him for the second night in a row. Despite his self disgust, Jack was beginning to come to terms with their unconventional relationship. If he was honest with himself, he didn’t see it ending any time soon. Before he got into bed for the night, Jack took the tiny scrap of paper that Cal had slipped into his hand before he rushed out the door out of his pocket and stared at the ten digits written in small, neat handwriting. Jack rubbed his thumb along the ink, trying to feel Cal’s warm skin through it. _I’m really in trouble now,_ he thought.

 


	3. Irresistible

_I am absolutely fucked_ , Jack thought to himself as soon as he opened his eyes the next morning. 

“Hey, sleepyhead,” a familiar voice called out to him from the doorway. “You slept in again, thankfully not until 3 this time,”

Jack rolled over and checked the time on his phone. 11:30 and one new message from Rose: “Hey, are you okay? Can we meet up this afternoon?”

_Oh boy,_ Jack thought dreadfully. 

Fabrizio stood by the edge of the bed and handed Jack a coffee. “Delivery!”

“Thanks,” Jack swallowed the growing lump in his throat and sat up.

Fabrizio furrowed his brow at him. “How did it go last night? You came back pretty late again, so I spent the night with Tommy,” Of course, how could he forget his friend’s latest romantic conquest.

Jack sighed heavily and pressed his fingers into his forehead. “It happened again,”

Fabrizio gasped dramatically and put his hand over his mouth in faux shock, “No!” 

Jack rolled his eyes, not in the mood for his friend’s antics. “Fabrizio, this is serious. I think I might…”

“Oh no. No, no, no, no,” Fabrizio grabbed Jack’s cheeks and forced him to look him in the eyes. “You don’t catch feelings for rich older men, Jack. Sugar daddies are fun for a day or two, but we don’t fall for that shit,” he lectured.

“I know,” Jack groaned. “I never thought I’d be the one to fall into this trap,”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Fabrizio said defensively. It was no secret that he was the more flirtatious one of the duo. He definitely had his fair share of affairs in France, with both men and women, fellow students and, dare-say, professors too. At least it wasn’t his fault everyone in Paris was beautiful and liberal. 

“It’s okay, honey, I get it,” Fabrizio sighed, sitting down on the bed next to Jack. “Remember Dr. Ramirez…”

“Ugh, yes, how could I forget?” Jack scoffed. Dr. Ramirez was a salt and pepper haired professor with a nice jawline who Fabrizio had seduced, only to find out that he had lied about not being married. The parallel was uncanny. 

“There are real assholes out there, and most of them are wealthy white men. Unfortunately gay or straight doesn’t always make a difference. In fact, lying to a spouse with no sign of remorse is a big sign of a sociopath. Ironically I learned that in his psychology class…”

Remembering his friend’s unfortunate experience in a similar situation helped to shake Jack out of his mixed emotions about Cal. Cal showed the same characteristics as their psych professor in Paris had. Lying to partners, cheating, trying to use sympathy where it wasn’t warranted… _How could I have been so stupid?_

“Thanks,” Jack sighed. “I don’t know what I was thinking,”

“Just try and stay away from him,” Fabrizio said, his tone more serious. “And maybe you should distance yourself from Rose too, because it seems like this whole situation gets messier by the second,”

Jack nodded, “I was thinking the same thing,” 

Jack wasn’t lying, he had considered it. But the thought of cutting ties with both of them made him uneasy. In the five days that he’d been on this ship, they’d both made a significant impact on him. To say goodbye to one was one thing, but to lose both would be like losing a part of himself, too. The thought of making a decision made Jack feel sick.

“It’s not easy, but, hey, I’m proud of you for experimenting a little this week,” Fabrizio patted him on the back.

Jack nodded absentmindedly, Fabrizio’s advice was helpful, but they had two very different outlooks on “hooking up.” Jack was never able to separate romantic and sexual partners, and he didn’t see that ever changing.

* * *

Jack made plans to meet Rose for lunch that afternoon. As much as it pained him to see her and lie to her face after everything that had happened in the previous two nights, he knew that he owed this to her.

“Jack!” a familiar voice called. Jack turned around just in time for Rose to jump forward and wrap her arms around his waist. As soon as he saw her and felt her in his arms, all his previous memories and feelings came flooding back. He returned the embrace, burying his face in her soft hair. 

“Hi,” he whispered, unable to say anything else around the tightness in his throat. He squeezed his eyes shut to ward off threatening tears. 

Rose pulled back and looked up at him with worried eyes, “I missed you,”

“I missed you, too,” Jack said, and he meant it.

 

“So he just…let you go?” Rose asked in disbelief.

Jack nodded, “Yeah, I guess he…had a change of heart,” 

“That makes no sense,” she whispered to herself, looking down at her untouched salad.

Jack shrugged, putting on his best poker face. “You, um, haven’t spoken to him since?” he asked, gauging her reaction.

Rose scrunched up her face and scoffed. “No,” she said shortly. “I’m still staying with my mom. I’m working on her about calling off the engagement,”

“Oh,” Jack tried to sound hopeful even though the thought of making his decision even harder made his stomach churn. “What has she said so far?” 

Rose shook her head in dismay, “It’s still a work in progress,” 

“I see,” Jack sighed, partially in relief and partially in disappointment. Of course he wanted Rose to be free of the engagement that she and Cal both clearly didn’t want to be in, but their engagement also served as the perfect reason for Jack to leave the situation. Arguing that their relationship was too complicated under the circumstances was more valid than justifying cheating, but either way Jack knew he would end up looking like a scumbag. 

Rose stretched her arm out across the table and placed her hand over Jack’s. Jack looked up and met her sea green eyes. “It’s okay, Jack. We’re going to make it,” she smiled and squeezed Jack’s hand tenderly.

Jack forced himself to reciprocate her smile. He nodded, unable to speak out of fear he might choke up or be sick. 

Rose was too perceptive. She furrowed her brow in concern at Jack, “Jack, are you sure you’re okay? You seem…distant,” she asked softly.

Jack cleared his throat. “I’m fine, I promise,” he internally winced at the lie, but still could not bring himself to tell her the truth.

* * *

Jack walked a lot that evening. He wandered the decks with his headphones in, staring out at the horizon or at his feet, lost in thought. He didn’t have much time to make his decision, and the longer he waited, the more unsure he became. He was so stressed, he wasn’t feeling like himself.

Finally, Jack sighed and decided to head back to his room. As soon as he walked into the inside hallway, he felt someone grab his shoulder. He gasped, but before he could call out another hand covered his mouth and pulled him backwards and into a dark room. 

The lights switched on and Jack was released. He turned around, fists in the air, ready to attack his assailant, but his writs were caught in midair. “Woah, there,” Cal smirked. 

“Cal!” Jack exclaimed, equally in shock, relief, and annoyance. He yanked his wrists out of Cal’s grip and stepped back. “What the fuck are you doing, stalking me?” he accused. 

“More or less,” Cal said dryly. _The nerve of this man,_ Jack thought, biting his tongue.

“Well, what do you want?” Jack spat, rubbing his wrists. 

“I noticed you met with her today,” Cal began, staring at Jack intensely.

“Really? Were you watching us?” Jack asked in astonishment. “God, Cal, you have no sense of boundaries. And that’s creepy!”

Cal smirked. 

“It’s not funny!” Jack shouted.

“Okay, ssh, ssh,” Cal motioned for Jack to quiet down. Jack crossed his arms and glared at Cal hotly. Cal lost his amused smirk and glared back icily. Both men were equally serious, and they were both equally angry, but their opposing energies wrestled each other relentlessly as they stared each other down.

Jack was the first to break. “Yes, I met with her, but I didn’t tell her anything about us. I don’t have a death wish, you know.”

“What did she want?” Cal demanded.

“She told me that she hasn’t spoken to you since the other night. And she’s trying to convince her mother to let her break off the engagement.” Jack shrugged. “I’m thinking maybe you should just go ahead and cut your losses and—”

“ _Don’t_ tell me what to do,” Cal snapped. 

Jack stared back, wide-eyed. There was a tense pause before Jack spoke, “Well then,” he said irritatedly. “What’s _your_ plan, Cal?”

Cal huffed and paced over to the other side of the room, which was really just a larger-than-ordinary supply closet. Jack followed Cal with his eyes as he turned his back to Jack and rubbed his temples. “I don’t have a plan yet,” he said gruffly.

Jack shook his head and pulled his arms closer to his chest. Of course he couldn’t count on Cal. 

Cal circled back around the room and stood in front of Jack. “But I do know what I want to do right now,”

“No, Cal, that’s a stupid idea, we can’t—” Cal cut Jack off by placing his lips over Jack’s mouth. Jack shoved his fists into Cal’s chest, but Cal stood like a brick wall. Finally, Jack started moving his lips along with Cal’s willingly. 

Jack pulled away after several long seconds. “You can’t just fuck me whenever you’re feeling stressed, Cal,” 

“You’re the only thing that makes me feel better,” Cal said into Jack’s neck. 

Jack rolled his eyes. “You’re so cheesy, you think that’ll— _ah_!” Cal distracted Jack by reaching in between his legs.

Cal pushed Jack onto a waist-high countertop at the edge of the room. Once he was on his back, Jack stopped resisting. Cal kept Jack’s mouth busy as he yanked his pants down to his ankles and then started unbuttoning himself. Jack slipped his legs out of his pants and spread himself out for Cal while reaching up and wrapping his arms around Cal’s shoulders.

Cal traced Jack’s lips with his fingers, “Get them wet for me,” he ordered. Jack took Cal’s fingers in his mouth and sucked them, making smoldering eye contact the whole time.

Cal used his slicked fingers to prepare Jack, but knowing that saliva wouldn’t be enough, he covered Jack’s mouth tightly with his hand before entering him. Jack made a sound in protest, but as soon as Cal pushed himself inside he stifled a loud scream. 

“Ssh,” Cal cooed, taking his hand off of Jack’s mouth and instead using it to push his thighs farther apart. 

Jack glared at Cal with his captivating blue eyes and Cal watched him intently. “I-I hate you,” Jack panted. 

Cal chuckled in response. “This doesn’t look like hate to me,” he stroked Jack’s throbbing erection, making Jack moan in pleasure.“You’re not fooling me, Jack,” he said in a deep voice.

After several more minutes of hard thrusting, Jack moaned out Cal’s name in a broken voice as he came, and Cal finished soon after. 

“Don’t ever forget this, Jack,” Cal whispered in Jack's ear. “This will always be ours. Only ours.”


	4. Dancing with a Wolf

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all! Last week's chapter was a little short so I figured I'd make up for it with a long chapter this week. Also you get some background on Jack and his edgy side comes out a little bit. Thank you all so much for the kudos and comments, you have no idea how excited I get whenever I see them. :D Okay, I'll stop talking. Enjoy!

“Happy Easter!” 

“Happy what?” Jack grunted, pulling the bedsheets over his head to block out the harsh iridescent lights. 

Fabrizio practically jumped on top of him. “It’s Easter, dummy!” He ripped the sheets back and Jack groaned, throwing his arm over his face.

“Come on, let’s go get a fancy breakfast. We’re going upstairs today, I don’t care if we have to pay extra, we can pretend to be a couple so they can’t say no to us,”

“Okay…” Jack rolled out of bed and started looking for a decent outfit to wear. All he owned were jeans and edgy band T-shirts. Luckily, brunch wasn’t necessarily a black tie event, at least he hoped not. For lack of any better options, he threw on his _Pierce the Veil_ T-shirt and a matching purple flannel. 

“Come on, let’s go!” Fabrizio took Jack’s hand eagerly and skipped into the hallway.

Jack sighed and followed along somewhat less enthusiastically. He hoped he wouldn’t run into his love interests and company upstairs, that kind of drama was really the last thing he needed right now. 

 

“This all looks really boujee, but I was kind of hoping I could get pancakes in the shape of a bunny like at IHOP,” 

“Fabrizio, this isn’t IHOP,” Jack muttered, sipping his black coffee.

“Jeez, what’s got you all emo today. You didn’t even put any sugar in your coffee,” his friend prodded.

“I’m fine.” Jack said defensively.

“Why do I feel like you haven’t broken it off with your girlfriend or your boyfriend yet?”

“Maybe because I didn’t,” Jack sighed.

“What’s taking you so long?” Fabrizio asked. “I know it’s not because you’re afraid of confrontation,”

“I don’t…I mean I think I…ugh,” Jack rubbed his forehead in frustration. He didn’t know how to put his thoughts into words without sounding shallow. Maybe because he _was_ shallow. The thought of being considered shallow or selfish made his stomach flip. He wanted nothing more than to rid himself of this conflict without having to hurt anyone. 

Fabrizio gasped. “Jack,” he lowered his voice.

“I know, it’s horrible. I’ll do something about it soon though, I mean it this time,” Jack said, keeping his eyes closed.

“No, Jack,” Fabrizio repeated, sounding serious.

Jack opened his eyes to stare at his friend quizzically. His face had grown pale as if he’d just seen a ghost. “What?”

Fabrizio cocked his head to the side, staring behind Jack. Jack’s heart skipped a beat. _Oh no…_

Jack turned his head slowly and saw exactly what he feared he would. Rose and Cal came inside with linked arms, followed by Rose’s mom and a few others who he recognized from the dinner party. He quickly turned back around. 

“Oh my god,” Fabrizio covered his mouth as if he were about to laugh. Jack gawked at him, “This is not funny,” he whispered shrilly. 

“Hold on, hold on,” Fabrizio leaned to the side to get a better view and Jack shrunk into his shoulders. “Oh, good, they’re going into a private dining room. You’re safe, Jack,”

Jack sighed in relief, realizing that he’d been holding his breath. “Thank god,” he said breathlessly. He reached up to take another sip of coffee, but his hand was shaking so he set it back down before his friend could see. 

Fabrizio laughed, “That was a close one. Can you imagine?”

Jack shook his head. “That was _too_ close,”

“Are you guys ready?” the perky blonde waitress asked, making Jack jump ever so slightly.

“I’ll have the waffles,” Fabrizio said with a flirty wink, making the girl blush. 

Jack rolled his eyes at him. “Me too,” he grumbled.

 

Jack and Fabrizio walked out of the restaurant together, but Jack was three steps ahead. He’d been itching to leave since seeing Cal and Rose, too nervous to even eat more than a few bites of his $15 waffle. 

“Woah, wait up, speedy,” 

“Hurry up, then,” he hissed.

“They’re not even in here, remember?” Fabrizio jogged to catch up to Jack and shoved his shoulder playfully. “Relax,”

Jack forced a smile and tried to do as his friend told him, although unsuccessfully. His heart was beating like he was running, and all the coffee surely hadn’t helped. 

The two of them had made it into the main lobby and were headed for the elevator when Jack suddenly froze in his tracks. This time it was Fabrizio who walked ahead and had to stop and turn around. “What?” he asked impatiently. “I thought you wanted to get out of here _so bad_ ,”

Jack shook his head vigorously, unable to speak. He forced himself past his friend and headed straight for the tall dark-haired man in a business suit leaning casually against the wall.

“Oh, Jesus…” Fabrizio groaned behind him. “I’ll meet you upstairs,” he called flatly.

Jack had tunnel vision. He disregarded his irritated friend and continued in a beeline towards Cal. 

“Hey, what are you doing, following me?” he demanded.

Cal looked up from his flashy Rolex watch as if he were surprised to see Jack in front of him. “How was I supposed to know you would be up here. I should be asking _you_ if you’re following _me_ ,” His voice was cool and collected. It pissed Jack off even more.

“So you saw me,” Jack said. “What do you want?”

“Walk with me,” It was less of a request and more of an order. Cal stepped away from the wall and started for the door, leaving Jack no choice but to follow. 

“Okay, what?” Jack asked again once they were outside. He glanced around suspiciously. “Aren’t you worried someone will see us?” he asked.

“Just keep your distance and we’ll be fine,” Cal said, looking straight ahead. 

Jack wanted Cal to face him, acknowledge him in some way. For just a second he didn’t want to pretend anymore. But his annoyance overcame any longing he had for Cal in that moment. 

“Who was that you were just with?” Cal asked coldly.

“Fabrizio?” Jack asked, surprised that Cal had noticed him, or even cared who he hung out with.

“Yeah, whatever his name is. _Who is he_?” Cal continued, growing impatient.

“He’s my brother,” Jack answered. _Wait, was Cal jealous?_ “My foster brother,”

Cal huffed.

“Do you think I’m lying?” Jack asked defensively. 

Cal didn’t answer, his jaw clenched and unclenched. Something in between anger and hurt welled up in Jack’s chest. 

“My parents died when I was fifteen. Fabrizio was a friend of mine since we were kids and his parents were kind enough to take me in as a foster child. So, to answer your question, he is my best friend and my brother. Nothing more, nothing less,”

Cal’s shoulders seemed to relax ever so slightly. “Okay, then. I was just curious,”

“Curious my ass!” Jack protested. 

Cal looked down and met Jack’s eyes. He raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Excuse me?” he asked, taken aback by Jack’s bluntness. 

“You know, Cal, you don’t _own_ me any more than you think you own Rose,” Jack said, clenching his fists at his sides. 

“I never said—“

“Yes, but you meant it,” Jack spat. “Stop treating people like property, Cal,” Jack stormed ahead.

“Jack!” Cal called after him. Jack ignored him and kept walking.

“Jack, seriously,” Cal caught up to Jack in a few fast-paced strides and grabbed Jack’s arm. _Damn his long legs_ , Jack thought. 

“Ugh, what now?” Jack growled. He tried to tug his arm away, but to no avail against Cal’s iron grip.

“I was concerned that you still haven’t called me,” Cal said.

Jack looked up at him in confusion. Cal actually had a hint of disappointment in his eyes. Jack blinked at him, unsure of what to say. “I-I didn’t want to bother you. I know you’re…busy,”

Cal laughed dryly and shook his head. “Not as much as you’d think,”

Jack was suddenly very aware of Cal’s hand on his arm. Cal’s grip was warm, strong, persistent, and Jack wanted to step closer to Cal and let himself be enveloped in his embrace. 

Cal let go of Jack’s arm once he remembered where they were. He turned away and rubbed the back of his neck. Jack continued to stare at him with wide blue eyes that Cal wanted to get lost in. 

“Cal…” Jack said softly.

Cal sighed and turned back to Jack. “Please call me, okay. I like you, Jack. I want to get to know you. The _real_ you,”

Jack stared up at Cal, unable to break away from his warm, chocolate brown eyes. He opened his mouth to ask what Cal meant, but closed it again, unable to find the right words.

With that Cal gave Jack’s shoulder a gruff squeeze and then walked away. Jack stepped back dazedly and then headed back inside. Cal’s words echoed through his head. _I want to get to know the real you_. 

* * *

Jack had been trying to distract himself all afternoon from the burning desire to take Cal up on his offer. Several times he’d unfolded the crumpled scrap of paper, stared at the neatly written phone number, and then refolded the paper, cramming it back into his pocket. Everything he did to try to distract himself, he always found his mind wandering back to Cal.

By 8:00 that evening, his curiosity got the better of him. He pulled the piece of paper out of his pocket and stared at it intently. Without giving it too much thought, he began dialing the number into his phone. His heart pounded as he heard the other line ring. His stomach dropped with each silence, and the longer it rang, the more he tried thought that this had been too good to be true. What would a successful man like Cal want to know about a broke art student like Jack?

Just as Jack was about to give up and hang up the phone, Cal’s voice broke the silence. “Hello, Jack,” he answered. Jack could hear the cocky smirk in his voice and grinned despite himself.

“Hi,” he said, releasing a breath that he didn’t know he’d been holding. “Um, I hope I’m not interrupting anything,”

Cal scoffed. “Just another round of boring conversation with the old men. You wouldn’t believe the things they say when no one else is around, especially after a few drinks. No filter, I swear,” Over the phone, Cal’s tone was much lighter. Jack couldn’t tell if it was because he’d had a few drinks himself, or if maybe he felt more comfortable letting his guard down over the phone. 

“And I thought I was bad,” Jack laughed. He felt his chest warming as if he’d just taken a shot of hard liquor. 

“How have you been enjoying this fine Sunday night?” Cal asked, somewhat sarcastically. His humor was so dry, Jack could never be sure.

“Pizza and drinks with some friends. Nothing too out of the ordinary,” Jack answered, a part of him hoping that he would get to end the night with Cal again. 

“Maybe you could come up here for dessert,” Cal said flirtatiously.

“Hmm,” Jack pretended to think about it. “I’ll have to check my schedule. I’m a very important person, you know,” he joked.

“Of course, Mr. Dawson,” Cal played along. “I’ll be waiting for you, if you can come upstairs in 30 minutes,”

“Okay,” Jack grinned. “See you,”

“Bye, Jack,” Cal said with a smile. 

The line went silent and Jack sat there smiling like a lovesick fool. His heart hammered in his chest, but not because he was nervous. In fact, he was feeling quite giddy. He never considered the idea that Cal might actually _like_ him. He thought he was nothing more than a plaything to the stone-cold businessman. 

A nagging voice in the back of his mind reminded him that Cal wasn’t as perfect as he was pretending to be. He could put on a mask when he wanted to, and there was no doubt he could be putting on a show to lure Jack into a cage like he’d done to Rose. Jack knew these suspicions were valid, and completely logical, but his heart wanted to believe Cal. Jack wanted to see the good in everyone, however naive that might make him. 

* * *

Jack knocked softly on Cal’s door, hoping he wasn’t drawing any attention to himself. Cal opened the door for Jack within seconds, flashing Jack a playful smirk.

“Come in,” he stepped to the side and let Jack enter the glittering suite. Its lavishness never failed to surprise Jack.

Cal closed the door behind them and then guided Jack to the couch. “I did actually sneak you some dessert,” he nodded towards the table, where a tall glass of chocolate mousse adorned with a decorative mint leaf sat waiting for him.

Jack grinned ear to ear, knowing that Cal hadn’t _snuck_ this at all, he’d had this ordered through room service just for Jack. “You remembered this was my favorite,” Jack picked up the glass and the spoon that sat next to it and took a bite, closing his eyes in satisfaction. 

“Yes, I remembered. I’ve been paying close attention to you all along,” Cal answered, draping his arm across the back of the couch behind Jack’s shoulders.

“Thanks, Cal,” Jack kissed Cal’s cheek in between bites of his dessert. Cal caught Jack’s face in his hand and kissed Jack on the lips. Jack didn’t fight Cal’s kiss at all this time, he barely even gave it a second thought. Every time he kissed Cal he found it harder to hate him.

“Finish your dessert, Jack. I need to talk to you about something,” 

Jack took another bite of his mousse apprehensively. “What?” he asked.

“I want you to come to New York with me.” Cal said. Jack nearly choked.

“Wha—Cal—how?” Jack stammered.

“Remember how I said I was waiting for the right time?” Cal began. “Well, I think the time is now,”

“B-but Cal,” Jack started. “What about your father, and—I mean, won’t he cut you off if you, you know, _come out_ ,”

“I’m not afraid of my father. He’s just a bitter old man.” Cal’s eyes twinkled with something hopeful as he looked at Jack’s face. “Besides, I’ve actually been planning this for awhile now. In this day and age, I can do a lot more damage to _his_ reputation if I publicize the fact that he disowned his only son for being homosexual, which I plan to do if he reacts poorly,” 

“Do you really think that’ll work?” Jack asked hoarsely.

“I never make decisions on a whim, Jack. If I thought there was even a slight possibility that this wouldn’t work, I wouldn’t be taking the risk.” 

Jack was speechless. Cal truly was serious about this. He wondered what he and Rose saw in him, since so far both of them had expressed their willingness to give up everything for him. Jack had no idea he was this special, and as flattering as it was, guilt still gnawed at his stomach for putting both of them in such situations. 

“I…” Jack began.

“You don’t have to decide right now,” Cal said. “You can sleep on it, but I do hope to hear your answer before we dock,”

“I’ll think about it,” Jack said quietly, staring into Cal’s dark brown eyes. Jack had never wanted Cal as badly as he did in this moment. Before he knew it, he was in Cal’s lap and they were kissing passionately. Jack rocked back and forth against the growing bulge in Cal’s pants. Cal growled and bit Jack’s lip impatiently. 

“Take me to bed,” Jack breathed.

Cal pulled Jack to his chest and stood up. Jack wrapped his legs around Cal’s waist and buried his face in his neck as Cal carried him into the bedroom.

Once they were in bed, and their clothes were thrown about the room in a lusty haze. Jack could barely wait, he wanted Cal inside him. “ _Cal_ ,” he moaned as Cal fingered him slowly. “ _I want you right now_ ,”

“What am impatient brat,” Cal smirked. “You’re lucky I have no patience either,”

Jack moaned in relief as Cal finally entered him, embracing the sharp burn that accompanied it. Jack’s eyes welled up with tears, but this time he let them slide down his cheeks without breaking eye contact with Cal.

The two of them kissed deeply as Cal picked up his pace and fucked Jack with even more vigor than he had the previous three nights. Jack moaned uncontrollably in response, gripping the bedsheets until his knuckles turned white. 

“ _Cal, I-I can’t…Ah!”_ Jack’s body quaked with an intense orgasm as Cal held him close to his chest.

Cal wasn’t finished with him yet. He kissed Jack’s neck and jawline roughly and then it wasn’t too long before Jack was hard and moaning again.

“You’re mine, Jack,” Cal grabbed Jack’s hair and moved his lips along the curve of Jack’s neck. “You’ll always be mine,” he growled, filled with animalistic desire. 

Jack let himself fall into the fantasy of being wanted, needed, and never let go. “ _Cal…_ ” he moaned.

Cal dug his fingertips into Jack’s soft flesh and sunk his teeth into Jack’s neck as he finished inside of Jack.

Jack screamed in surprise as Cal filled him, the sensation pushing him over the edge as well. Jack tightened his grip on Cal’s neck and pushed his face into Cal’s chest as he came. The words _I love you_ flashed in his mind, but he bit his tongue before they could escape.

Cal left one last kiss on Jack’s lips and then rolled off of Jack and collapsed onto the bed beside him. 

Jack laid his head back on the downy pillow and tried to catch his breath, pushing his guilt back for the time being and just enjoying the quiet. Cal laid next to him and traced his thumb over Jack’s wrist lightly. Jack closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of Cal’s cologne. He was so entranced by Cal that he didn’t even notice the forward and back motion of Cal’s fingers over his veins.

“How old were you?” Cal asked, bringing Jack back to reality. He opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling, the scar on his wrist suddenly felt hot underneath Cal’s fingers. His heart shuddered and he swallowed with difficulty before answering, mustering the calmest voice that he could.

“What do you mean?” he asked, adding a chaste, breathy chuckle at the end of the question. He tried to pull his wrist away, but Cal’s hand clamped down on it and didn’t let go. Jack took a deep breath and turned around to face Cal, whose expression was curious and knowing. Jack’s eyes darted to Cal’s hand clenching his wrist, realizing just how small and fragile he looked underneath him. 

“I know what these are, Jack” Cal said matter-of-factly, tracing the length of the thin scar again. “You can’t lie to me,” _These._ So he noticed the matching scar on his other wrist, too. _Dammit_ , Jack cursed to himself.

Jack swallowed again to keep his voice from shaking. “Fifteen,” he answered quietly.

“Why?” Cal asked curiously.

Jack shrugged. “I was just a dumb, edgy teenager,” 

Cal scoffed, “Everyone was a dumb, edgy teenager, but not everyone slits their wrists,” his words came out so pointedly that Jack cringed. The thought of what he’d done seven years ago still made his stomach churn with self disgust. He hated talking about it for a reason; he didn’t want to be remembered as “the guy who slit his wrists.” 

Jack’s breath caught in his throat and he took a long, shaky breath before answering, choosing his words carefully. “My parents had just died. I was shuttled off into the foster care system, and a few weeks later I slit my wrists in the sink. I passed out, and my foster family came home and found me on the bathroom floor and took me to the hospital.” he said stonily. “But that’s not who I am anymore,” he added, meeting Cal’s concerned stare.

Cal was quiet for a long time, staring at the scar on Jack’s wrist as if trying to read it. “It’s really nothing,” Jack added, tugging at his wrist again. This time Cal let him go. He held his hand to his chest and rubbed it as if trying to soothe a nonexistent pain. He hadn’t spoken of this out loud in years. No one ever noticed the scars, and if they did they never said anything. But Cal had no filter. 

“How’d you feel about it?” Cal asked after a few long seconds. 

“Excuse me?” Jack asked, surprised that Cal had the gall to continue asking him questions about it. 

“When you woke up. Alive.” he explained casually, like this was just regular small talk. 

Jack squinted at Cal scrutinizingly, but answered anyway. “I was disappointed,” he blurted out. The truth tasted bitter in his mouth after so many years of keeping it locked away. “When I woke up in the hospital and I saw the stitches on my wrists I was disappointed that I was still alive,” he said quietly, averting his gaze down to his shaking hands. 

Cal just stared back at him. “Is that what you wanted to hear?” Jack snapped. His throat constricted in spite of himself and his eyes burned. He laid on his back and looked up at the ceiling, drawing a belabored, shaky breath. 

“It’s not what I _wanted_ to hear, but it’s the truth, isn’t it?” Cal said calmly, inching his body closer to Jack’s. Jack turned away from him and crossed his arms over his chest, suddenly feeling even more naked than he already was. 

“I don’t get what the point of this is, Cal.” he muttered, rubbing the bridge of his nose like he had a headache. 

“I’m just trying to figure you out,” Cal answered, brushing a few stray strands of hair off of Jack’s forehead tenderly. Jack cringed away even though he actually wanted to move into Cal’s touch. “I knew there had to be more to you. No one can be an optimistic ray of sunshine _all the time_ ,”

“Are you saying I’m fake?” Jack asked defensively.

“No, no,” Cal said quickly. “I just want to know why,” his voice was soft and it was hard for Jack to stay angry with him. No one knew about this incident except for his foster parents and Fabrizio, and until now he’d gone out of his way to keep it that way. 

“After I saw what it did to my best friend and his family, I was actually mortified.” Jack said after a few seconds of silence. He opened his palm and stared down at the raised white line over his blue vein and then clenched his fist again. Cal reached across Jack’s chest and put his hand over his closed fist. Jack stared at Cal’s warm hand on top of his cold one and continued, not caring about whether or not Cal deserved to hear this. 

“I realized that I really scared them, and I really hurt them. No matter how alone I felt, there were still people who cared. I was so ashamed that I decided I never wanted to take my life for granted ever again,” he explained. “It was just stupid.”

“It’s not that stupid,” Cal said. “You were just a kid. No one would blame you,”

Jack was taken aback by his understanding. He’d thought that _Cal_ of all people would think that it was stupid to slit his wrists over a bout of bad luck. “I was still old enough to know better,” he mumbled. 

“I wouldn’t have. If my parents died when I was fifteen I probably would have wanted to kill myself, too.” Cal said seriously.

“Okay, now you’re just saying things,” Jack felt his lips curling up despite himself.

“I’m serious,” Cal laughed, pulling Jack’s chin towards him. “That’s a heavy load for anyone to carry, let alone a child.” he said, making intense eye contact with Jack.

“Yeah, I know,” Jack whispered.

Cal leaned down and pressed his lips against Jack’s and he readily reciprocated, wrapping his arms around Cal’s neck. 

“Turned on yet?” Jack asked jokingly as he pulled away.

“Why do you say that?” Cal smirked.

“You strike me as someone who likes them a little broken,” Jack was only half joking. He had no doubt that Cal was a bit of a sadist, and he was beginning to believe that he was a bit of a masochist. 

“Sure, it adds some character,” Cal kissed the hickey he’d left on Jack’s neck earlier, making him squirm. “But I like adding some of the pain myself,” he whispered against Jack’s neck.

Jack whimpered. “I wish we had more time,” he complained, glancing at the glowing red numbers on the bedside table alarm clock.

“I know,” Cal sighed. “But I’ll see you here again tomorrow, right?”

“Yeah,” Jack whispered, wishing it didn’t have to be like this. Meeting up in the evenings for a quick fuck and then going about the rest of their days pretending nothing had happened was not his idea of a healthy relationship. It was exciting and taboo at first, but now it was becoming exhausting and a little depressing. His stomach dropped and the nagging voice popped back into his head, _You’re in love with him. You know it’s not right, but you love him.You stupid fool, you’re totally screwed now._

“It could be like this every day, though, if you come with me,” Cal whispered in Jack’s ear. “I could give you everything,"


	5. Loose Lips Sink Ships

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thank you all for the kudos! This chapter gets a lil intense so get ready for some feels.

“I don’t know, Cal, maybe we shouldn’t meet like this anymore,” Jack sighed. 

“The alternative being?” Cal asked, playing stupid, and continued to nibble at Jack’s neck.

Jack whimpered in frustration. As much as he wanted it, his guilty conscious was too much for him to bear. He pushed at Cal’s broad shoulders until he finally stepped back.

Cal rolled his eyes in impatience, a quick flicker towards the ceiling that was full of childlike arrogance. Jack knew he should be more upset by Cal’s unwillingness to plan ahead, or take things slow, but given the circumstances of their “relationship”, the status of which was still shady, Jack chose to ignore Cal’s ignorance for the time being. Jack crossed his arms in front of his chest and tried to avert his gaze from Cal’s disappointed glare. 

“Jack,” Cal softened his voice lifted Jack’s chin up so that he had to look at him. “I don’t want this to stop,”

“Me neither, Cal, but…”

“But what, exactly?” Cal pushed. “Do you want to tell her now?”

Jack’s eyes widened in anxiety, “No,” he said quickly. He cleared his throat and took a breath. He knew better, the truth would have to come out at some point. With three days left on the voyage, he had to make a decision fast. And no matter who he chose he would hurt someone. “Not yet. But I’ll do it eventually…I just need…more time…” he stammered.

Cal put a finger to Jack’s lips. “We don’t need to worry about her right now,” he whispered, leaning in closer to Jack until that their lips were less than an inch apart.

Jack let himself melt into Cal’s kiss. After all, it felt way better than worrying. He mentally promised himself that he would tell Rose the truth tomorrow, giving himself and her a day to recover before parting ways, possibly forever. At this point in time he had a hard time imagining his life without Cal. He knew he couldn’t expect Rose to forgive him for fucking Cal behind her back for a week, but he didn’t feel like he could ever feel the same way for her again. His only other option was to leave both of them behind and try to forget this ever happened, which seemed like the most logical plan, but also the most painful. 

Cal cupped Jack’s cheek in his palm and deepened their kiss. Their tongues dueled for several long seconds until Cal started pushing Jack backwards onto the bed. Jack broke the kiss to fall back onto the bed, tugging his shirt off in haste and then eagerly reaching for Cal’s zipper. 

“Want a taste?” Cal asked with a sly grin, loosening his tie and unbuttoning his shirt. Jack looked up at Cal with baby blue eyes and winked, pulling at the hem of Cal’s pants.

“Dirty little slut,” Cal teased, unbuckling his belt to give Jack easier access. Cal continued to take off his shirt as Jack pulled Cal’s pants down just enough to expose his semi-hard cock. Jack moved onto all fours at the edge of the bed and wrapped his lips around Cal’s throbbing width. Jack moved his tongue in circles and bobbing his head up and down. Cal groaned and grabbed a fistful of Jack’s messy blonde hair, pushing his head down farther. Jack squeezed his eyes shut to block tears as he gagged. Cal loosened his grip and let Jack move at his own pace again, but kept a tight hold on Jack’s soft hair.

Jack pulled back and looked up at Cal pleadingly, “I want you inside me,” he begged.

“Okay, pet, take your pants off,” Cal ordered, motioning for Jack to lie on his back. Cal retrieved the lube from the bedside table although he was already quite wet from Jack’s hungry blowjob. He figured he could at least get Jack started though. 

Meanwhile, Jack lied on his back and shimmied his out of his jeans, tossing them onto the floor. He spread his legs and watched Cal eagerly as he climbed on top of him. Jack gasped as Cal slid his fingers inside of him and started kissing his neck passionately. Jack’s breathing quickened and he reached up and entwined his fingers in Cal’s hair. Cal fingered Jack faster as he moved down and started teasing Jack’s nipple with his tongue. Jack squirmed underneath him and tightened his grip on Cal’s hair. Cal moved further down Jack’s stomach and started sucking his fully erect cock. Jack moaned in surprise, “ _Cal_!”

“You’re so cute,” Cal said gruffly. “I want to see you ride me tonight,” With one last kiss, Cal sat up and motioned for Jack to do the same. Jack whimpered as Cal stopped fingering and sucking him off, but eagerly sat up for what was coming next. Cal leaned back against the pillows,“Come here,” he ordered, patting his thighs.

Jack jumped into Cal’s lap and straddled his hips. Cal put his hands on Jack’s hips and guided him down onto his massive erection. Jack yelped as it stretched him out, all the foreplay made Cal much bigger than Jack was used to taking all at once. However, Jack still took Cal all the way down to the hilt and then started bouncing up and down to fuck himself onto Cal’s cock. 

“ _Oh, fuck_!” Jack exclaimed breathlessly, his eyes rolling back into his head in pleasure.

“Dirty mouth,” Cal scolded deviously, pinching Jack’s plump ass. 

Jack moaned erotically as he slammed himself down onto Cal with mad desire.

“Where did you learn to ride dick like this?” Cal asked breathlessly, squeezing Jack’s thighs. “I’m inclined to think you’re not really a virgin,” he teased.

“I—I’m…not…” Jack panted. Forming coherent words was becoming increasingly difficult as his body was overcome with ecstasy.

Cal laughed, “She doesn’t count. Could she fuck you like this?” 

Cal bucked his hips up, making Jack arch his back and scream. “ _Cal!_ ” 

Cal knew he’d hit Jack’s sweet spot and grinned mischievously, “I didn’t think so,”

Cal reached forward and pulled Jack down so that he was lying flat across his chest, moving his fingers through his hair. “You belong to me. Only me,” he whispered into Jack’s ear. Then he pulled Jack in for a long, passionate kiss. Jack whimpered and moaned into the kiss as he continued to take Cal’s dick.

“ _Cal.._ ” Jack moaned breathlessly, “ _I’m going to…_ ”

“Come for me, Jack,” Cal demanded. 

“ _Aaahh, Cal!_ ” Jack came on cue, his orgasm shaking his entire body and covering Cal’s chiseled chest. 

As soon as Jack finished, he collapsed on top of Cal’s chest, breathless and shaking. Cal chuckled and softly squeezed Jack’s thigh. “Adorable, Jack,”

Jack sighed, closing his eyes and resting his cheek on Cal’s bare shoulder. _What have I gotten myself into_ , he thought as he soaked in Cal’s warm embrace. 

Before Jack could get too comfortable, Cal flipped him over onto his back and spread his thighs apart. Jack opened his eyes and looked at Cal questioningly. “I’m not finished with you yet,” Cal smirked. 

Jack screamed as Cal re-entered him, but eventually fell back into the motions and was moaning and hard again within seconds. 

“ _Cal…ah…Cal…_ ” 

Suddenly they both froze as a loud ringtone accompanied by frantic vibrations began from underneath them. Jack’s eyes widened like a captured animals’ and in the milliseconds of silence in between rings he could hear his heart hammering in his ears. 

Cal sighed in annoyance and reached under the blankets for the source of the ringing. “It’s yours,” he said as he held the vibrating cell phone in front of Jack. “I think it’s that friend of yours…”

“Fabrizio? I need to answer that.” Jack grabbed the phone hastily and flipped onto his stomach as Cal reluctantly moved off of him. 

Jack took a second to try and calm his breathing before he answered, as if that would help. “Hello?”

He could almost feel Fabrizio rolling his eyes on the other end of the phone. “Hey!” he sounded cheerful, too cheerful. “Guess who’s here looking for you?”

“Shit…” Jack whispered, his shoulders tensing. 

“Where are you?” Fabrizio asked with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

“Um, I’m on my way down,” Jack pulled the phone away from his face and turned to Cal.

“She’s looking for me,” he whispered urgently. “I have to go,”

“Dammit,” Cal cursed, getting off of the bed. 

Jack jumped off of the bed himself and started collecting his clothes off of the floor. “Um…don’t…”

“It’s fine! We’re alright hanging out here until you get here. See you _soon_!” the call clicked off. Jack made a mental note to thank his friend for covering for him. 

Jack threw his clothes on hurriedly as Cal halfheartedly remade the bed. “I’m sorry, Cal,” he said breathlessly once he finished. 

Cal faced Jack and planted a chaste kiss on his forehead. “It’s okay,” he said, then kissed Jack on the lips. “We’ll finish what we started later, alright?” he said with a smirk.

Jack grinned and nodded. “See you,” he said quietly, then left with one last kiss. 

* * *

“That was a close one,” Fabrizio watched Jack with his back to the wall and his arms crossed.

“Yeah, thanks for covering for me. I really owe you one,” Jack said, ignoring Fabrizio’s attitude. He flopped down on the couch and rubbed his temples, the stress of the decision that he would have to make within the next 24 hours weighing on his mind. 

“Speaking of that,” Fabrizio stepped away from the wall and stood in front of Jack. “What exactly did I catch you guys in the middle of?”

Jack rolled his eyes and laughed dryly, feeling heat rush to his cheeks. “I think you know,”

“What position?” Fabrizio raised an eyebrow at Jack mischievously.

“Fabrizio, no, I’m not going to tell you that,” Jack laughed uncomfortably. 

“You owe me details!” Fabrizio punched Jack’s arm playfully.

“Oh my god, fine, um…” Jack floundered, the whole experience feeling so personal that he couldn’t even share it with his best friend. 

“Out with it!” Fabrizio teased. 

“I was…riding him,” 

“You like riding cowboy! Ha! Wow, I never would have thought you were that wild. And he let you on top?” 

Jack groaned, knowing his face was turning bright red. “I really don’t…want to talk about it,” 

“Alright, alright, that’s all I’ll ask for for now,” Fabrizio winked and sat down on the couch next to Jack. For a few seconds, there was a heavy silence, and then Fabrizio cleared his throat like he needed Jack’s full attention.

“What?” Jack asked, somewhat defensively.

“Well…it’s just that, it’s already Monday, and…”

Jack’s heart started beating faster, “And?” 

Fabrizio sighed, “Jack, you know you can’t stay with him…”

“Why not?” Jack snapped, folding his arms tightly across his chest.

“Jack…” Fabrizio looked at Jack the way a parent would look at a child whose puppy just died. 

“Why. Not?” Jack repeated slowly, through a clenched jaw.

“He’s not healthy, Jack,” Fabrizio said patronizingly. “The last person he dated literally tried to kill herself because he’s such a prick,”

“Well of course he was a prick to her. He’s gay! It’s not easy for him either. She’s not the only one living a lie!”

“Are you seriously defending him?” Fabrizio scoffed. “Five days ago you were saying the exact same thing. Did his dick give you amnesia?”

Now they were both talking with raised voices. “You have no right to tell me what I can and can’t do! Thanks for the insight, but I don’t need your advice!” 

“You’re such a hypocrite, Jack! You butt in on everyone else’s life with your God-complex, but as soon as someone tries to help _you_ you get defensive,”

Jack was speechless for a few seconds, opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water. “H-how dare you? A hypocrite? Really? You’re the one who acted _so_ supportive when I first started fucking a hot billionaire, and now that it might actually be more than that you turn around and start _preaching_ to me about my future? Are you just jealous that I spend more time with him? Huh? Is that it?”

Fabrizio laughed coldly, “What is your problem, Jack! Are you off your meds?”

Jack stood up and turned to leave the room, his eyes burning. “I’m done with this,” 

“Crawling back to your sugar daddy already?” Fabrizio called after him.

* * *

 

Jack rapped on Cal’s door. He didn’t even bother to make sure Rose wasn’t there. He needed to see Cal, and he needed to get this decision out of the way. 

Cal opened the door apprehensively and looked at Jack with surprise. “Jack, what are you…”

Jack pushed his way past Cal and into the suite. “I needed to see you,” he said once Cal closed the door behind them. “Is anyone else here?” he asked, his voice breaking ever so slightly.

It wasn’t anything that Cal could miss. He gave Jack a concerned look and went to embrace him immediately. Jack stepped away and crossed his arms over his chest protectively. “Is anyone else here?” he asked again.

“No, she’s not here,” Cal said.

“Good,” Jack sighed, relaxing a little bit.

“Jack, what’s wrong?” Cal asked, stepping towards him again slowly, like a hunter approaching a deer. 

“I want you,” Jack said, tears stinging his eyes as he thought about the screaming fight he’d just had with his lifelong best friend. He didn’t know if he’d ever get that back if he did this, but nothing made him more sure. He made decisions for himself, not for anyone else, not even Fabrizio. 

Cal wrapped Jack in his arms and Jack pressed his face into Cal’s warm chest, letting a few tears escape hopefully unnoticed. “That’s great, baby,” Cal said softly. “What suddenly made you so sure?”

“Nothing,” Jack snapped. 

“You can’t lie to me, Jack,” Cal pushed Jack back and looked at him inquisitively. Jack felt like a bug under a microscope and looked away. 

“Jeez, Cal…It’s just…a stupid fight I had with my friend,”

“About?” Cal pressed.

Jack groaned, “You.”

“Your friends don’t want you to choose me, do they?”

Jack shook his head, still unable to meet Cal’s eyes. 

“Jack, look at me,” Cal demanded.

Jack looked up at Cal through his eyelashes. “Jack,” Cal cupped Jack’s chin in his hand tenderly. “You don’t need to make everyone else happy. What will make _you_ happy?”

“Jesus, Cal…” Jack paused to swallow the clump of barbed wire in his throat. “I don’t even know anymore…but I know that I feel…safe…when I’m with you. It just…it makes sense somehow…”

Cal pulled Jack back into his chest before he could say anymore. Jack wrapped his arms around Cal’s waist and hid his tear-stained face in his cologne-scented shirt. It was true, Cal felt like home to Jack. The piece of the puzzle that he had been missing for almost seven years. Cal represented security, warmth, protection…Fabrizio had no idea what he was saying, he had no idea because he hadn’t had to take care of himself for this long. 

Jack pulled back from Cal’s hold and looked up at him. “Cal, let’s finish what we started earlier,” he said desperately.

Cal grinned and kissed the top of Jack’s head. “Let’s,” 

Jack pulled Cal into the bedroom and began hastily undressing himself as Cal did the same. Once completely nude, Jack got on all fours on the bed and readied himself for Cal. He wanted nothing more but to forget about the words he’d just exchanged with his best friend and last “family” he had left. He just wanted to feel Cal’s warmth inside him, he wanted to feel pleasure, he wanted Cal to hold him afterwards, and he wanted to fall asleep in Cal’s arms. 

Cal got on the bed behind Jack and pulled his hips back. Jack gasped as Cal entered him. After a few seconds, fireworks of pleasure were going off in Jack’s head. 

“ _Harder, Cal_ ,” Jack panted. 

“What do you want me to do, pet?” Cal growled, reaching down and grabbing Jack’s hair. 

“ _Fuck me harder!_ ” Jack exclaimed.

Cal made a deep sound in his chest like a primal growl and did as Jack requested. Jack moaned in response. “ _Cal…yes, oh God, that feels so good…”_

_“_ Take it, bitch,” Cal growled, slapping Jack’s ass. Jack yelped in surprise but then a wave of pleasure overcame him as sparks of pain ignited his skin and clouded his vision. Jack squeezed his eyes shut to try and feel everything as vividly as possible. 

When Jack opened his eyes, she was right there. At first he thought he was imaging her, that his subconscious was still so conflicted that it placed her there just to torture him. But then he realized the look of utter shock and disgust on her face and he knew that she was actually there, actually seeing them. Jack’s heart dropped into his stomach.

“C-Cal,” he whispered, his voice shaking. Cal seemed to notice her as soon as he did, for he stopped moving and sighed heavily. Cal seemed more annoyed that their lovemaking had been disturbed than concerned for what Rose had just seen. But Jack didn’t have time to be bothered by Cal’s self-centered reaction.

Rose backed away slowly, her saucer-wide eyes glued to the pair. She shook her head as if trying to erase the image from reality, and then she slammed the bedroom door shut.

“What do we do?” Jack’s voice trembled as he climbed off of the bed and started dressing himself.

Cal shrugged, looking pale. “Well, we don’t have too many options, now do we?”

Jack bit his lip and brushed his fingers through his hair, trying to make himself look less disheveled. 

“Let’s go,” Cal reached for the door and held his hand out to Jack. Jack stood up and crossed the room slowly, keeping his eyes on Cal. Jack put his shaking hand in Cal’s and gave it a quick squeeze. 

Rose was sitting in the living room chair with her head in her hands. As Jack and Cal approached she sat up straight and glared at them. Her makeup stained her cheeks where she’d shed tears, but rather than sadness, her eyes were full of rage. “Care to explain?” she asked, her voice wavering.

Cal led Jack to the couch and they sat down together. When Rose saw their linked hands she scoffed. Jack recognized the uncanny parallel between this moment and the night they had walked into this room holding hands and garnered the same reaction from Cal. Jack swallowed and slowly moved his hand away from Cal’s and into his lap. 

“Rose…I—I’m so sorry. I was going to tell you, I just…” Jack stammered.

“How _could_ you, Jack!” Rose blurted out. “I _trusted_ you! I was willing to give up _everything_ for you!” 

Tears spilled over Jack’s cheeks before he could think to hold them back. He wanted to defend himself, but no matter how he looked at it, he was in the wrong. “I’m sorry…” he choked. 

Rose shook her head, scowling at Jack in disgust. “I’m the one who should be sorry. I should have known you were just a seedy little man-whore looking to play around,” she spat. 

Jack felt like someone was crushing his windpipe. He had no words; she had just confirmed his worst fears. 

Cal noticed Jack’s distress and leaned forward in his seat. “You don’t have anything to say to me?” he offered.

Rose turned her fiery gaze onto Cal. “Oh, don’t worry, darling, I was just getting to you,” she seethed. 

Even Cal was taken aback. The smallest trace of fear flickered over his face. 

“ _You_ ,” Rose laughed dryly. “All this time…you know, you could have told me. I didn’t want this either and you _knew_ that. If you would’ve just let me in, I would have understood, Cal,” Rose looked genuinely hurt for a split second, and then the anger came back. “But _no,_ you had to go and _fuck_ the one thing that finally made me happy?” she raised her voice with each word. “You’re a _psychopath_ , Cal! You don’t care about anyone else unless it’s somehow convenient for _you_ , and even then it’s all just pretend.” 

Cal didn’t seem phased at all by her accusations. He sat back and stared at her until she was finished, as if he expected this. “Okay,” he nodded. “Is that it? Because…”

“ _Shut up!”_

Rose turned back to Jack. “You’re a lot dumber than I thought you were,” she said. “Do you really think he loves you?” she laughed. “Honey, you know he did all this out of spite. He doesn’t love _you_ , he only loves himself. This is what you get for damaging his petty little ego.”

Jack didn’t want to believe a word she’d just said, but his heart still sunk. 

“Jack, don’t listen to her,” Cal clenched his jaw. Now she had gone too far. “Rose, I suggest you leave now. Congratulations, you don’t have to go through with his goddamned wedding anymore. Now go.” 

“You don’t get to tell me what to do.” Rose stared Cal down, narrowing her eyes at him. 

Jack felt Cal stiffen his shoulders and hold his breath, clearly holding back his anger. Jack lowered his eyes down to his hands which were tightly folded in his lap. 

Rose stood up and Cal did the same. 

“You have no right,” Rose said, lowering her voice.

“ _You_ have no place here,” Cal challenged, his fists clenching. 

Rose glanced down at his fists and smirked. “What are you gonna do? Hit me again?”

_Again?_ Jack snapped out of his shock and sprung off of the couch and forced himself in between Cal and Rose. 

“Come on, guys, stop it,” he placed a hand on Cal’s chest and tried to push him back.

Rose grabbed Jack’s arm and shoved him out of the way. “Fuck off, whore!” she growled.

Cal lost it. “Don’t you _dare_ talk to him like that!” 

Rose laughed out loud. “Aw, you really _do_ care about him! How fucking sweet,” she turned to Jack who Cal had stepped in front of in defense. “You’re even farther gone than I feared,” she shook her head solemnly. “Good luck living with _him_ , you’ll need it. He’ll drain the life out of you, Jack. He doesn’t care about anybody but himself. And when he gets bored of you…” she shrugged. 

Jack froze. Maybe she was right, she’d been engaged to Cal after all, and she’d known him longer. 

“Have fun in Hell.” she spat at Cal before turning on her heel and storming out of the suite.

Once the door had slammed shut and Rose was gone, Cal turned around and took Jack by the shoulders. “Are you okay?” he asked.

Jack couldn’t bring himself to meet Cal’s eyes. He shook his head slowly. “No…no, I—I think I should go, too,” he said quietly.

“What—Jack…” Cal scoffed, but let go of Jack’s shoulders. 

Jack stepped away from Cal. “I’m—I’m sorry, I can’t—I can’t do this.” he backed away and headed for the door.

“Jack, no…” Cal chased after him and grabbed him by the arm.

Jack spun around and finally faced Cal, his eyes full of tears. “Cal…” he choked. “This isn’t right. I don’t think we should be together.”

Cal scoffed. “Because of what _she_ said?” he asked, incredulously. “Jack, she doesn’t know anything!”

“Maybe that’s the problem, Cal,” Jack said seriously, brushing his hand off of his arm. “How can I trust that you won’t lie to me, after all you put her through?”

Cal gaped at Jack. 

Jack shook his head. “Goodbye, Cal.” he whispered, turning around and walking out of the room without looking back. He could feel Cal’s eyes burning into his back all the way out, and it hurt like iron-hot knives. 

Once Jack was in the safety of the deserted hallway, he let the tears spill from his eyes and a strangled cry escaped his throat. He covered his mouth with his arm to conceal his sobs, leaning against the wall to collect himself. He’d just lost both them at the same time. Not only had he hurt Rose, but he’d been stupid enough to do so by falling into the trap that Cal had set for them all along. He’d made the biggest fool of himself. 


	6. Love Feels Like War

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Thank you so much for the kudos and comments once again. I'm so glad you like the story and want to read more :) It makes me heart so happy lol. No smut in this chapter (sorry), but there will be some fluff and a lot of drama.

Jack couldn’t bring himself to get out of bed the next morning. He let his friends dote on him, since everyone seemed to be so supportive of his decision to leave Cal. 

“You know you did the right thing, Jack,” Fabrizio told him, dumping a bag of candy from the gift shop on the bed. 

“Sure,” Jack picked the Twix bar out of the pile, but still couldn’t bring himself to eat anything. He wouldn’t call anything he’d done this week “the right thing” _._

“There are other rich guys out there who would love to date you and who _aren’t_ psychopaths,” 

“Not helping.”

Jack was tired of hearing everyone talk about how horrible Cal was. He understood that they were trying to make him feel better about walking away, but a tiny part of him still wanted to believe that somewhere deep down Cal really was a good person. Any time someone did so much as say his name, Jack wanted to cry.

“How about we get you to forget about them both altogether,” Fabrizio offered.

“I don’t think that’s possible,” Jack mumbled.

“I mean, let’s get shit-faced tonight. There’s going to be a party downstairs. You can borrow my eyeliner if you want,” Fabrizio nudged Jack’s shoulder playfully. “Come on, Jack, you know you want to,” he sang.

“Yeah, right, so I can go third wheel you and _your_ new boyfriend,”

“We won’t third wheel you, I promise. Come on…” Fabrizio pleaded. 

Jack sighed heavily and rolled his eyes. “Fine,” he groaned.

“Yay!” Fabrizio threw his arms around Jack’s neck, ignoring his pessimistic attitude. “We’re gonna have a great time, don’t you worry,”

Jack patted his friend’s back halfheartedly, unable to reciprocate his excitement. But he knew his friend was right about needing to get out of bed and stop thinking about his failed romances. As much as he wanted wallow in self-pity, he knew that doing so would only breed more negative emotions. _At least the party will have alcohol…_

* * *

 

 Jack sat at the bar in the back of the room, trying to keep a low profile. He didn’t have enough alcohol in his system yet to get up and dance with his friends. He ended up leaving his room looking ridiculous, wearing tight black jeans and a loose tank top with an edgy band logo on it. He even took Fabrizio up on his offer and borrowed his black eyeliner, figuring he didn’t need to impress anyone anymore, so why not go out dressed like a twink for one night? 

The room was dark and loud, easy for Jack to drown out his thoughts and focus on his drink without being seen. Jack swallowed the last bit of beer in his glass and flagged down a bartender for another one. The bartender raised an eyebrow at him in concern, since this was his third drink, but didn’t hesitate to bring Jack his order. 

“Long day, mate?” the bartender asked as he slid Jack’s drink across the table.

Jack took a long sip before answering. “Long week,”

“Hey! There you are, Jack!” Fabrizio bounded over to Jack and put his arm around Jack’s waist. “You should come out and dance with us, it’ll be fun,” he rested his cheek on Jack’s shoulder, obviously tipsy. 

Jack rolled his eyes. “No thanks.”

“Come on, I think you’ve had enough to drink,” Fabrizio grabbed Jack’s glass out of his hand and took a sip from it. 

Jack felt more annoyed with his friend’s pushy behavior than he normally would. He shoved Fabrizio off of him and took his drink back hastily. “I haven’t had too much to drink,” he said defensively. 

Fabrizio straightened up and looked more serious. “I _have_ been paying attention to you, Jack. This is your third drink and we did shots before we came down, remember? If you keep this up you’re only going to feel worse,”

“That was hours ago,” Jack snapped. “You know I can handle my liquor, now stop trying to be my mom. I think your _boyfriend_ is waiting for you,”

“You know what, fine. If you want to make yourself sick, be my guest. Just don’t expect me to take care of you in the morning,” Fabrizio huffed and turned away, disappearing back into the crowd.

Jack finished his drink off and stared into the empty glass. His face was feeling hot and he was a little lightheaded, but he knew drunk and he wasn’t drunk. Not yet. “You’re not my mom…” he grumbled to himself.

* * *

 

Jack’s head was spinning as he zigzagged down the seemingly endless hallway. _I’m going to see him…I’m going to tell him…something…what was I going to say? Oh well, I’ll think of something. Just need to see him…_

Finally Jack reached Cal’s door. He stabilized himself on the wall and tried to stand up straight before knocking on the door. Seconds later, a very confused Cal cracked the door open. Several emotions flickered across his usually stone-cold face when he saw Jack standing before him.

“Jack?” he asked quietly. He frantically glanced up and down the hall, and when he was sure that the coast was clear, he grabbed Jack by the arm and pulled him inside.

“Cal, I…I wanted to see you…” Jack stammered, trying not to slur his words. 

“Jack, you’re drunk,” Cal said matter-of-factly. He gripped Jack by the shoulders and started pushing him back towards the couch. 

Jack giggled in spite of himself, “How can you tell?” Jack nearly tripped over himself while walking backwards and Cal caught him by the wrist and pinned him against his chest. 

Jack pressed his face into Cal’s shirt drowsily. “I missed you,”

Cal pushed Jack off of him and led him down onto the couch. Jack whimpered in protest at the detachment, but then Cal sat next to him and put a hand on the small of his back gingerly. The physical contact sent electric shocks up Jack’s spine.

“Jack, what…why are you…dressed like this? Is that eyeliner?” 

“I was trying to forget about you, but obviously that didn’t work,” Jack stared up at Cal with glassy eyes. He inched closer to Cal until their thighs were touching. “All this was to try and look hot for some other guy,” Jack laughed. “Does that make you jealous, Cal?” he teased, putting a hand on Cal’s chest.

Cal put his own hand over Jack’s, meaning to push him away but unable to find the motivation to do so. He sighed, “No, Jack, you can do whatever you want,” he lied through a clenched jaw.

“Bullshit,” Jack moved in closer and tried to kiss Cal’s neck. This time Cal pushed Jack away by the shoulders. 

“Jack, stop it, you’re extremely drunk,”

“And?” Jack challenged, giving Cal a hungry look. 

“Do you really know what you want, Jack?” Cal asked.

Jack hesitated. “I want to fuck,”

Cal couldn’t ignore the fact that Jack was here, literally throwing himself at him, and wearing a skimpy outfit. Under any other circumstances Cal wouldn’t hesitate to take advantage of that and grant Jack’s drunken wish. However, he really wanted to win Jack for the long haul, and he had a feeling that taking advantage of Jack’s emotional state would only backfire. 

“No, Jack,” Cal said, standing up. “I’m going to make you some coffee,”

“Cal…” Jack whined as Cal left the room. 

_Dammit, Jack, what was he thinking? Anyone could have taken advantage of him like that._ The thought of Jack showing himself off in a crowded party with lots of other drunk, horny men and women actually bothered Cal _a lot_. Cal popped a coffee pod in the suite’s Keurig and leaned against the counter, rubbing his temples. _What am I going to do with him when he sobers up? Will he think this was all a huge mistake and leave again?_ Cal couldn’t let Jack leave again. He never doubted that Jack would come back, but not like this. Dealing with the after-effects of tonight would be like walking through an emotional landmine, and Cal was _not_ good with emotions. 

 

“Jack, I brought you…” Cal walked back into the living room with a cup of coffee only to find Jack curled up and asleep on the couch. He sighed, set the mug down, and sat next to Jack. Jack’s face was relaxed and peaceful while he slept, and his golden hair fell across his forehead. Cal lightly pushed Jack’s hair back to expose more of his angelic face. “What am I going to do with you, Jack?” he whispered.

Before Cal could enjoy more of Jack’s peaceful company, he was interrupted by yet another hasty knock on the door. “Now what?” he hissed in frustration.

Cal cracked the door open, blockading himself against the rest of the room to hide Jack’s passed out body on the couch. He didn’t know who to expect at this time of night, but when he laid eyes on his visitors he was not surprised.

“Where is he?” Rose demanded, her arms crossed tightly across her chest.

Cal rolled his eyes and scoffed at her, obviously she had taken the dual breakup pretty hard. She stood in front of him wearing sweatpants and an oversized jacket, her hair coming loose from a messy braid. Behind her stood the boy who he’d seen with Jack the other day, his foster brother, who was dressed in ripped leggings, a loose crop top, and eyeliner. _So this is Jack’s rescue team?_ _How pathetic._

_“_ I’m sorry, Rose, if I remember correctly, you told us very kindly to ‘fuck off’ last night. And in case you’ve forgotten already, this isn’t your room anymore,”

“Cut the crap, Cal!” Rose snapped. “Is he _here_?”

“I don’t see how that’s any of your business anymore,” Cal answered more seriously. 

Jack’s foster brother, whose name Cal could not recall, finally stepped forward. “Listen, _Cal_ ,” he sneered. Cal raised an eyebrow at his tone. “Jack is intoxicated, so if you take advantage of him—“

Cal put his hands up in defense, aggravated by his accusation. “Listen, kid. I wouldn’t touch him like this, I’m not an idiot,”

Rose scoffed and Cal clenched his jaw, fighting to ignore her. He held eye contact with Jack’s friend, who was glaring daggers at him. “I’d never hurt Jack,” he said sincerely. However, it still didn’t look like Jack’s friend believed him.

“Fabrizio?” Cal quickly stepped back to try and withhold Jack from coming any closer. However, Rose and Fabrizio both took the opportunity to lunge past him and into the room, reaching out for Jack like paparazzi at a red carpet event. Cal pushed Jack behind him defensively.

“What are you two doing here?” Jack asked, shoving Cal’s arm out of his way. Cal wanted to grab him by the waist and pull him back, but he knew how that would look to his “saviors”, so he let Jack face them on his own.

“Jack, come on, let’s go home,” Fabrizio grabbed Jack’s wrist and tried to steer him out of the room, but Jack yanked his hand back. Fabrizio shot him a daring look. “Jack. You don’t know what you’re doing,”

“Bull. Shit.” Jack growled. “You can’t tell me how to live my life,”

“Jack…” Fabrizio said in a warning tone. “Don’t do this, Jack. I know you, and you know better,”

“Jack,” Rose stepped forward and reached out for Jack’s hand, but Jack stepped back. She sighed and let her arms hang limply at her sides. “I know you too, Jack. This isn’t you. You deserve better,” she shot Cal a fiery glare.

Cal balled his hands into fists at his sides. “You don’t know him,”

“Oh, shut up, Cal. You don’t love him. You can’t love anyone,” 

“I couldn’t love you because you’re a selfish little bitch! He, on the other hand…”

“Woah, woah, guys, shut up,” Jack stepped in between Rose and Cal, wobbling slightly, and put a hand on Cal’s chest. “I don’t want another repeat of last night, okay? What I _want_ is for both of you to stop assuming you know what’s best for me, and let me stay with Cal if I want. And that’s what I want,” Jack looked at Fabrizio, who shook his head in disappointment. 

“We’re _brothers_ , Jack,” Fabrizio whispered. “We’re supposed to stick together. Now you’re just going to run off with the first rich guy who tells you you’re pretty…after all this time…And before this you wouldn’t even have a one night stand. Maybe I _don’t_ know you,”

Jack was rendered speechless, but maintained a perfect poker face. He stepped back and took Cal’s hand, all the while holding his friend’s gaze. “I think it’s time for you two to leave,” he said hoarsely.

“It’s over, Fabrizio, let’s go,” Rose put a hand on Fabrizio’s arm and led him towards the door. “At least we tried.”

Jack bit his tongue as he watched his lifelong friend and foster brother leave the room along with his ex-lover. As the door slammed shut he felt dizzy and ducked away to the couch. Cal followed him, sitting down beside him and offering his comfort. Jack leaned into Cal’s shoulder, his mind stuck on his Fabrizio’s last words to him. _Did I just make a huge mistake?_

“Are you okay, Jack?” Cal asked awkwardly.

Jack chuckled in spite on himself and wrapped his arms around Cal’s waist. “No,” he said, pressing his face into Cal’s chest and closing his eyes. 

Cal didn’t know what to say to make Jack feel better. He wanted to tell him that he’d made the right decision, that his friends were being too overbearing and needed to be put into place, but he wasn’t sure if that’s what Jack really wanted to hear. He’d never had a friendship as close as Jack and Fabrizio’s, and he was an only child, so he had no idea what it felt like to live life alongside someone else for that long. Cal also knew that Jack was much more emotional than himself, so even letting Rose go, a person he’d only had a brief affair with, was hard for him. 

Cal stayed quiet and held Jack tighter, the only comfort he could offer being physical. Jack didn’t seem to mind, in fact the last thing he wanted right now was to talk about it. After several minutes of sitting in silence and holding each other, Jack murmured, “Let’s go to bed,” drowsily.

Cal hesitated, not expecting Jack to agree to spend the night without any prompting, but then again he was drunk and he had just fought with his best friend, making for an awkward night in his own room. “Of course,” Cal answered softly. He stood up slowly, puling Jack gently by the hand. Jack leaned against Cal for support as he led him into the bedroom.

Jack eagerly climbed into bed and Cal joined him under the sheets, watching him closely. Jack curled up on his side facing Cal. He gave him a weak smile before his eyelids became too heavy to keep open, the alcohol and emotional exhaustion of the last few days finally catching up to him. Cal reached forward and pushed Jack’s hair off of his forehead softly, then tracing his fingers over the curve of Jack’s cheekbone and jawline. “I love you,” Jack mumbled drowsily just before drifting to sleep.

Cal froze. “Jack?” he whispered. Jack didn’t answer, he was already deep in unconsciousness. Cal could hear his heart beating in his ears. He wanted to believe Jack, he wanted Jack to know that he felt the same way, but he also knew that it was too early, and that Jack was drunk. Cal pushed the emotions down and closed his eyes, pressing his forehead against Jack’s and resting his hand on the back of Jack’s neck.


	7. Like a Drug

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Sorry this chapter is a bit late (ok, a lot late). Life and uni is happening lol. This chapter has both smut and fluff. Hope you guys enjoy! ;)

Jack woke up with his face pressed into snow-white, lavender-scented pillow. At first, nothing seemed strange, his eyes fluttered shut again and he flipped over onto his back. He stretched, arching his back and reaching his arms behind his head. It wasn’t until he felt the immaculately-carved mahogany headboard underneath his fingers that he realized he wasn’t in his own room. His eyes shot open and he sat up immediately, his head spinning. Memories of the previous night came flooding back. He remembered deciding to see Cal, and he remembered yelling at Fabrizio, but everything in between and after those two events was fuzzy. 

“Oh god,” Jack whispered to himself, fumbling around the bedsheets for his phone, only to realize that it was placed neatly on the bedside table, and attached to a charger. Groaning, he unlocked it to see several missed calls and two voicemails from Fabrizio and one from Rose. Considering how he’d left things the previous night, he figured it was too late to make up for it now. He closed his eyes and rested his head in his hands, unsure if he’d made a huge mistake. He couldn’t remember everything he’d said, but he knew it hadn’t been good. The one thing he remembered clear as day was the disappointed look on his friend’s face as he left the room.

Jack threw the bedsheets off of him, surprised to see himself still fully clothed. He had spent the night with Cal right? He shook his head and strode into the master bathroom. Again, surprised that the only soreness he felt was a dull headache. 

His reflection in the mirror told a completely different story. He forgot that he’d put eyeliner on before going to the party, and he gasped in horror when he saw that the eyeliner was now everywhere but his eyes. As he scrubbed his face with cold water he tried to remember everything else that had happened the night before. _Did I have sex with Cal?_ He sure hoped not. _More importantly, where is Cal now?_ The fact that he hadn’t woken up beside Cal wasn’t a good sign. _What does he think of me now?_

Jack patted his face dry and sighed as he stared at his reflection. He’d washed all the makeup off, but he couldn’t wash away the dark circles under his eyes. He opened the medicine cabinet to look for Advil for his headache, but found that it was completely void of any type of medication. In fact, it was pretty baron in general. “Great,” he sighed. He’d really expected Cal to have a fully stocked bathroom cabinet, even on a two week trip. 

Jack finally worked up the courage to leave the bedroom, hoping to at least find Cal in the living room. He stepped softly on the hardwood floor, trying not to seem too intrusive. Cal was, to Jack’s relief, sitting on the couch with his back turned to the bedroom, where Jack was just coming through the door. It looked as if Cal was hunched over some paperwork, and he was on the phone. His shoulders were tensed and his voice stern. Obviously he was having a serious, possibly heated, discussion with whoever was on the other end. Jack stepped back quietly, hoping Cal hadn’t noticed him open the door yet.

“It’s temporary for now, but I do have a long term plan in the works…I can move some people around…Traveling is fine, it’s not like it’s anything new…No, nobody else knows yet…Tomorrow, if everything goes according to plan…”

Jack had a feeling that this discussion was somehow relevant to him. He stepped forward again and cleared his throat. Cal turned around and gave Jack a sheepish grin. “I have to go. We’ll talk later.” he hung up the phone and stood up, walking towards Jack with caution.

“What was that about?” Jack asked, crossing his arms. 

“Nothing, it was just my dad,” Cal said as if it was completely irrelevant. He reached out to Jack, but Jack moved away from him, shooting him a suspicious look.

“I’m not an idiot, Cal. Was that about me?”

Cal sighed, “Yes. I told my father about you—“

“Cal, why?” Jack demanded. 

“I know it’s premature, but—“

“Speaking of which, what exactly did I do and/or say last night?”

Cal hesitated, Jack’s drowsy _I love you_ flashed through his mind. “Nothing too bad. You just said you wanted to talk to me…and then, well, you did express your interest in doing _other_ things, but—“

“Did we?” Jack asked hoarsely, the thought of Cal taking advantage of him made his blood boil and his stomach drop.

“No, no! Jack, I swear, I didn’t—I wouldn’t have…”

Jack remembered waking up fully clothed and held up his hand. “It’s fine, Cal, I believe you,” 

“Okay good,” Cal stepped closer to Jack and took his hands in his. 

“Do you remember anything?” he asked Jack, a hint of hope in his voice.

Jack thought for a second. “All I remember is coming to your door, and then I remember saying some pretty…horrible things to Fabrizio and Rose, and then they left, and…” Jack thought again, working hard to remember anything he could, but he just shook his head. “Obviously we went to bed at some point, but I don’t remember anything else,” he shrugged.

Cal nodded, this was exactly what he’d expected. 

“Did I say anything to you?” Jack asked.

Cal shook his head. “Nothing you should be concerned about,” he smiled. “You showed interest in staying with me, though. I hope that’s still true,”

Jack smiled back, with some effort. “If you aren’t totally disgusted with me after last night,” he joked.

“No,” Cal kissed Jack’s forehead and Jack’s shadow of a smile grew into a wide grin. So Cal still wanted him after all. “However, a shower might do you some good right now,” 

Jack laughed and punched Cal in the arm playfully. “And an Advil. You must be a vampire or something because you don’t have any normal human things in your medicine cabinet,”

Cal sighed heavily. “Right…Rose took almost everything she possibly could when she moved out. But I’ll get you some after we shower, I promise,”

“We?” Jack asked, the corners of his lips inching up.

“Did you think I’d miss out on the opportunity to shower with you?” Cal winked at Jack. “Now come on,” he led Jack into the master bathroom by the hand and Jack followed eagerly. 

 

Cal undressed Jack slowly, taking in every second of Jack being his. They kissed passionately under the warm water. Jack felt as if time had slowed down in those moments. He forgot about his guilt, he forgot about leaving his friends while they were still angry with him, and he forgot about the nagging voice in his head that asked, _What if they’re right?_

Cal moved his hands down Jack’s back, gliding easily over his wet skin, and pushed his hips back against the wall. Jack drew in a sharp breath, taken out of his romantic daze. He looked up an Cal expectantly and bit his lip. Cal cupped Jack’s chin in his hand and stared at his angelic face. Droplets of water from the tips of his hair fell down his cheeks like diamonds. Cal still couldn’t believe Jack’s beauty, as much as he couldn’t believe that Jack was all his.

Cal moved in and started kissing Jack again, lifting his thigh up and balancing it on his hip. Jack knew what was coming and he wrapped his arms around Cal’s neck and pulled Cal into him. Cal grinned against Jack’s lips and Jack reciprocated, adding a chaste giggle. He pressed his forehead against Cal’s as Cal entered him, the warm water making it slide in easily. 

Jack gasped as he felt Cal move inside him, but after a few seconds familiarity and pleasure overcame the initial discomfort and he sighed in relief. Cal kissed Jack’s neck hungrily and Jack moaned as Cal thrust into him harder. 

Cal took Jack hard and fast, his lust taking over. Jack was like a drug to him, the more he kissed Jack’s soft skin and heard Jack’s moans of pleasure, he was swept up further and further into him. Cal bit down on Jack’s neck as he finished inside of him, unable to contain himself any longer. His desire for Jack was more animalistic and primal than he’d ever felt for any other boy.

“Cal…” Jack gasped, his fingers digging into Cal’s back and his thigh quivering underneath Cal’s rough grip as he came.

Cal sighed in satisfaction at his work. Jack panted leaned back against the wall limply, his eyelids heavy. Cal stepped back, letting Jack stand on his own, and pulled Jack towards him by his waist. “Come on, now you really need to wash up,” he said.

Jack chuckled and wrapped his arms around Cal’s waist, resting his head on Cal’s sculpted chest. As much as he wanted to revel in this moment forever, Cal was right. He moved back and pushed past Cal so that he was standing in the stream of hot water. He let the water run down his entire body like a blanket, peeking out at Cal who stood admiring him with a grin. 

* * *

Jack rested his head against Cal’s bare chest, his hair still damp from the shower. Cal ran his fingers through Jack’s messy hair thoughtlessly. Their actions were already instinctual, like they had been together all their lives.

“How many times did you say you’ve seen this show again?” Cal asked, his lips curling into a smile as he looked down at Jack lying in his lap.

Jack laughed, “About three times. Now four,” 

“And you never get tired of it?” Cal asked in wonderment. 

“It’s a classic, Cal,” Jack joked. “Don’t tell me you’re already bored,”

“I’m not,” Cal answered softly. _How could I be, with you here,_ he wanted to say. 

“Good,” Jack said, pressing his face back into Cal’s chest and wrapping his arms tighter around Cal’s waist. In that moment, he allowed himself to think about their future together, even though he knew it was still early. But he could see himself curled up on the couch with Cal after a long day watching their favorite shows together. He could see himself feeling safe and content in Cal’s arms, no matter where they ended up. 

Jack smiled against Cal’s warm skin and let his mind wander. It wasn’t long before he felt his eyelids drooping and he drifted off to sleep in Cal’s embrace. 


	8. Spotlight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all! I'm sorry I took way longer than usual to post this chapter, it's midterm season (bleh). This chapter concludes the "sea voyage" arc of the story, but don't you worry! I will continue posting because I have many more ideas for my babies. I'm also planning to include more Tommy/Fabrizio because they're cute, too.

Jack awoke to the sunlight dancing across his face from in between the blinds. He scrunched his eyes shut and turned around, reluctant to wake up from the fantasy that he was living. A part of him still worried that he would open his eyes to find that the events of the last two days were all a fever dream. He stretched his arm out and ran his fingers over the cloudy sheets, searching for Cal. But all he felt was an empty outline where he used to be.

Fearing that his worries were correct all along, and that this had all been too good to be true, Jack opened his eyes and sat up hastily. Glancing around the room, he was reassured that it hadn’t all been a dream. He sighed in relief and pulled the comforter up to his chest. This was really happening, he was going to leave with Cal this afternoon.

Jack pushed the covers back off of his body and slipped out of bed, suddenly filled with a sense of urgency about leaving the closed quarters of the suite and facing the rest of the world. _It looks like he’s barely even packed up yet?_ Jack thought as he searched the room for his clothes, only to remember that he still hadn’t brought all of his own belongings up to Cal’s suite. “Shit,” he hissed. The last thing he wanted to do was go downstairs and face his best friend, who he’d just “broken up” with in the worst of ways. But he had valuable things with him that he couldn’t afford to leave without. Well, maybe not valuable as in expensive, but definitely valuable in a sentimental way. 

Jack opened the bedroom door and marched into the living room. Not quite in a panic, but getting there. Cal was standing in the middle of the room on the phone, already dressed like he was ready to dock. Jack walked up to him and put a hand on his arm to catch his attention. As soon as Cal realized that Jack was there he faced him and smiled warmly. “Just a second,” he said to whoever was on the other end of the phone. “What’s wrong, babe?” he asked Jack, sensing his uneasiness.

“I can’t…um, I mean, I left my stuff downstairs and I need it, so,” Jack stammered.

“We can get it, don’t worry,” Cal said softly, brushing Jack’s hair behind his ear.

“But I can’t just go back there. Not after…” Jack shrugged. 

“I can send someone,” Cal said nonchalantly.   
Jack shook his head vigorously, but Cal spoke before he could explain why that was off the table. “You don’t have that much stuff, do you?”

Jack shot Cal an unamused look. “No,” he said coldly. “But we don’t just _send_ people around to do our chores for us. There’s no way they’d let anyone you send in,” Jack sighed, “I’m just going to have to bite the bullet and go myself,” 

Cal looked Jack up and down. “Not without pants you aren’t,”

Jack rolled his eyes, remembering that he’d decided to sleep in underwear and one of Cal’s shirts, which came down to his thighs. “Obviously not,” he hissed.

“Okay,” Cal put a hand on Jack’s shoulder and squeezed gently. “Let me get back to this and then we’ll figure something out,”

Jack nodded reluctantly and let Cal go. He sighed and headed into the kitchen to pour himself some coffee. He leaned against the kitchen counter and let his mind wander as he sipped the hazelnut flavored coffee, probably ground from some expensive beans from Madagascar and brewed with unicorn tears or something stupid like that. He smirked at his ridiculous thoughts, but his smile faded as he realized that this would be _his_ life now. _He_ would be drinking $12 cups of coffee every morning, eating avocado toast on gold-crested plates, sleeping in satin pajamas in between silk sheets, vacationing on a private island every holiday…Jack suddenly felt like he couldn’t breathe. That life was not his, he couldn’t do this, what was he thinking?

“Sorry about that, babe. Now what was it you needed?” Cal walked into the kitchen, slipping his cell phone back into his pocket. But Cal sounded far away, and Jack suddenly had tunnel vision. “Jack?” Cal noticed Jack’s pale complexion and terrorized expression. “What’s…”

Jack shook his head to snap out of his daze. He set his coffee cup down on the counter and turned to leave the kitchen. “Sorry, I just…need some air,” he said breathlessly, pushing past Cal on his way out the door. 

Jack paced through the living room and out onto the patio, leaning his elbows against the edge of the ship and pressing his head into his hands. He drew in shaky breaths, trying to gain control over his racing heart. 

“Jack?” Cal placed a hand Jack’s back and Jack instinctively jumped. He hadn’t heard Cal follow him out. Cal pulled his hand away and stood next to Jack, staring at him quizzically. Jack couldn’t face him yet, and instead he squeezed his eyes shut and tried to focus on the sound of the water beneath them and the feeling of the calm breeze on his face. Maybe this was just a crazy dream. Jack couldn’t believe how childish he’d been to believe this could work out. 

“Jack?” Cal asked again, impatience and worry growing in his voice. “What’s going on?" 

Jack took one more deep breath and looked up. “I don’t know if I can do this,” he panted, grabbing onto the edge of the ship to keep himself steady as he turned to face Cal. 

Cal stared back at him in shock. “Do what, Jack?”

Jack motioned between them, “ _This_ ,” he croaked. “I mean…I’m just…” he gaped, unable to find the right words to explain his concerns. Instead, he stared back out to the ocean and tried to catch his breath again.

Cal reached forward and placed his hand over Jack’s. “Hey,” he said. Jack turned back to him with an apologetic and panicked expression. “Jack, I’m serious about you,” he said smoothly, his voice deepening. Jack let himself relax a little at the sound of Cal’s voice. “This will be different for you, I know. It’ll be different for me, too,” Cal cupped Jack’s chin in his other hand and lifted Jack’s face up so that they were looking into each other’s eyes. “But wouldn’t it be stupid not to give it a chance,” he whispered, closing the ever-shrinking gap between them and pressing his lips to Jack’s.

Jack melted into Cal’s kiss, his worries fading away. He let himself lean into Cal’s body, wrapping his arms around Cal’s waist. Cal held Jack close to him, and Jack felt warm, safe, protected… _It was silly of me to doubt myself_ , he thought. _Our different lifestyles shouldn’t matter if what we have is real._

“Excuse me, um, sirs?” An unsure voice cleared his throat in the doorway. Cal and Jack pulled away from each other, and Jack looked down at the floor to hide his embarrassment. 

“What?” Cal breathed impatiently. 

“Um, the ship is going to dock in,” the attendant checked his watch dutifully, “an hour and a half, and…”

Jack gasped and looked back up at Cal. “Cal, I still need to—“ 

“Ssh, it’s okay, we’ll get it,” Cal reassured him, giving his hands a quick squeeze. 

Jack let out the breath he’d been holding, and let himself trust Cal.

 

“H-hello?” Jack was surprised when Fabrizio answered his phone on the fourth ring after he’d been sent straight to voicemail three consecutive times. 

Fabrizio sighed heavily, “What, Jack?” he demanded coldly. 

“I, um,” Jack paused for a second and collected himself. He’d said some bad things, things that he didn’t exactly mean, but he’d had a valid reason to snap. Of all people, his best friend of so many years should be the most supportive of his choices, and not try to sabotage him by teaming up with his ex-girlfriend. “I need my stuff, before we get off,” Jack said, his voice void of all emotions. 

“Of course,” Fabrizio grumbled. For a couple long seconds neither of them spoke.

Jack finally cleared his throat. “Well…”

“Save yourself the trouble, Jack, I know you’re busy with your new boyfriend and his time is _very_ valuable. I’ll send Tommy up with your stuff,”

Jack heard a muffled sound of protest from somewhere else in the room, and Fabrizio pulled away from the phone to quiet it. “ _Ssh, just do it,_ ” he hissed, probably thinking Jack couldn’t hear. He rolled his eyes. _What a hypocrite, making his boyfriend do everything for him and then calling_ me _the sugar baby…_

“Okay, settled?” Fabrizio asked.

“Yeah, that’s fine,” Jack answered. There was another heavy pause.

“Bye—“ Jack started, but Fabrizio hung up before he could even finish. Jack bit his lip and put his phone away, trying not to think about the bitterness between him and his once best friend. He felt sick to his stomach. Fabrizio didn’t even want to _see_ him. He wanted to think that they would move past this and things would be back to normal within a couple weeks, but this fight was bigger than any other falling out they’d had before. In truth, he wasn’t sure if things would ever be the same between them.

“Everything ok?” Cal asked, placing a hand on Jack’s shoulder. Jack jumped ever so slightly, he hadn’t heard Cal approach him. He swallowed the lump in his throat and turned to face Cal.

“You have to stop sneaking up on me,” he joked. 

Cal grinned and moved his hands down to Jack’s hips, pulling him closer. “Then stop trying to fool me,”

Jack opened his mouth to deny that he was trying to fool Cal at all, but Cal put his thumb over Jack’s lips. “I can tell you’re still upset about your friend,” he said.

Jack looked down at Cal’s hand on his cheek, his fingers brushing over Jack’s lips. He put his hand over Cal’s and lightly pushed him away. “I am,” he whispered. “I don’t know if he’ll ever forgive me,”

“If this is what you want…” Cal started.

“I know,” Jack looked up and met Cal’s eyes. “And this is what I want. But…we haven’t been separated since…” Jack trailed off and bit his lip, unable to say the words.

Cal nodded, knowing what Jack meant to say. “I know,” he said quietly. However, there was some resistance in his voice. Cal wanted Jack to be on board with their relationship, and wished there was no one holding them back, whether it be a love interest or a friend/foster sibling. Jack was who Cal had wanted all along, and he’d be damned if anything came in between them.

Jack sighed and rested his head against Cal’s chest. “I just want this to be over,” he mumbled.

Cal petted Jack’s hair soothingly. “I know you do, Jack,” he said.

A heavy knock at the door interrupted their moment. Jack pulled away, startled. “Shit, I’m still not wearing pants,” he exclaimed, trying to keep his voice down.

“I’ve got it, just go into the bedroom,” Cal gave Jack a chaste push towards the bedroom and then started towards the door.

Cal checked over his shoulder to make sure Jack was safely inside the confines of the bedroom before he opened the door. There was another knock, this time hastier. Cal clenched his jaw, “I’m coming!” he exclaimed.

Cal opened the door to see a burly, disgruntled redheaded man. He raised an eyebrow at the stranger, who was obviously not Jack’s short, perky Italian friend. Before he could question the stranger’s identity, the man introduced himself in a thick Irish accent. “I’m Tommy, Jack’s…well, friend doesn’t quite fit anymore…but uh, I brought his stuff up because my boyfriend is still pretty pissed and didn’t want to bring it over himself,” he hoisted Jack’s backpack and duffle bag over his shoulder and held both out to Cal. Cal hesitated, but took the bags from Tommy, slightly taken aback by how heavy they were. _He didn’t seem to have any trouble carrying them…_ Cal thought bitterly.

Tommy gave Cal a judgmental look as he tried not to show how much he was struggling to hold up Jack’s bags. Cal scowled back. “Well, give Jack my best,” Tommy sighed just before turning to leave.

“Great. Will do,” Cal answered shortly, starting to push the door closed.

Tommy turned back around just before Cal shut the door. “Oh, and Cal,” he started. Cal stopped closing the door and glared back at Tommy, who stared back at him challengingly. “Treat him right, ok? Jack’s a really good kid,”

Cal didn’t know what to say. He felt shocked and defensive, but at the same time he didn’t want to pick a fight with a man who looked like he could snap a person in half effortlessly. He gaped at Tommy for a second before he finally answered. “Um, yes, of course I’ll take care of Jack,”

Tommy nodded at Cal and then disappeared down the hall. Cal shut the door all the way and rolled his eyes. _Who does he think he is to come to my door and tell me how I should treat Jack?_

“Cal?” Jack asked in a timid voice behind Cal. This time Cal was the one startled by Jack. 

“Jack,” he breathed, forcing a smile. “I thought you were in the bedroom,”

“I was, but…I was listening,” 

Cal nodded. Of course Jack was curious about the words exchanged about him, Cal couldn’t be mad about that. He flopped the bags down on the floor to catch his breath.

Jack stepped forward hesitantly. “I’ve known him only two weeks and it sounds like he cares about me a lot,” he said quietly.

Cal scoffed and Jack gave him a confused look. “Jack,” he laughed. “ _I’ve_ known you only two weeks and I,” he paused, realizing he was about to say ‘love’, “care about you enough to come out publicly just so I can date you,”

Jack smiled and nodded. “Right,” he chuckled.

“Now let’s get your stuff into the bedroom so you can get properly dressed,”

“I thought you liked seeing me walk around in nothing but one of your old shirts,” Jack pouted playfully.

Cal grinned, “I could look at that all day,” he lunged forward and caught Jack’s waist. Jack laughed and pretended to fight him off. Cal pulled Jack in tighter and started kissing his neck heatedly. Jack continued to laugh and squirm until Cal’s playful groping turned into something a little more. 

Cal ran his hands up Jack’s hips, under his oversized shirt, and explored his back and chest as he kissed Jack’s neck even harder. Jack’s breathing grew heavier and he wrapped his arms around Cal’s neck, never wanting this moment to end. 

Unable to wait any longer, Cal pulled Jack up by the waist and carried him over to the couch. Jack laughed and bit Cal’s lip as Cal laid him down and climbed on top of him. Cal pulled Jack’s boxers off and started unzipping himself. Meanwhile, Jack found the lube that Cal had hidden in the cushions of the couch and started readying himself for Cal. Cal laughed chastely at Jack’s cleverness. It had been nearly a whole week ago that Cal lured Jack in here, and Jack had remembered such a fine detail. Jack, seeming to know what Cal was thinking, caught Cal’s eye and winked at him.

Cal entered Jack as soon as he could, burying his face in Jack’s sweet-tasting neck. Jack moaned loudly as Cal thrusted into him. He locked his thighs around Cal’s waist and pawed at Cal’s shirt as he continued to moan in pleasure under Cal.

Cal was once again overcome by Jack’s soft skin, erotic moans, and priceless expressions. He kissed Jack’s lips hungrily, with Jack moaning softly into his mouth. He ran his hands up Jack’s thighs, gripping his tender skin under his fingertips. Cal couldn’t get enough of Jack, no matter how many times he made love to him.

The two of them were so caught up in each other that they didn’t hear the hasty knocking on the door, or the sounds of a key unlocking the door. At least not until the person behind the door became a person in the room. The door slammed shut and the two of them finally looked up, eyes wide with shock.

“Well,” Rose pursed her lips, unable to avert her gaze from the two men on the couch, as much as she knew she should. “I came to pick up some of the stuff I left behind the other night. Now I can see why you weren’t answering your phone,” she huffed.

“Go then. Be quick,” Cal said icily. 

“Don’t let me interrupt anything. By all means, continue,” she stormed past them and into the second bedroom.

“Don’t worry, we will,” Cal called after her. Jack looked at Cal with wide eyes and shook his head violently. Cal shushed him and continued moving into him slowly.

Jack gasped, “Cal!”

“Ssshh,” Cal cooed. 

“But…” Jack trailed off, closing his eyes as Cal continued to hit him in all the right places. “Cal…” he panted, unable to effectively argue.

In the other room, Rose opened and shut drawers as loudly as possible, trying to drown out the sound of Jack and Cal shamelessly having sex in the living room. As much as she hated to admit it, hearing her previous lover moaning the name of the man she hated the most in the entire world felt like knives stabbing her in the chest. As much as Jack’s betrayal hurt, her anger was stronger. _I can’t believe they just continue even though I’m here and I can obviously hear them…_ Rose ranted to herself. However, she knew that it was all Cal. He was trying to rub his conquest of Jack in her face, knowing that it would make her blood boil. For that reason she chose not to engage, pretending to go about her business as if her two ex-lovers were not having sex less than fifty feet away from her.

“Cal,” Jack dug his fingers into Cal’s back to try and get his attention, unable to shove him off. “We can’t…” he panted.

Cal pressed his lips to Jack’s to quiet him, and in seconds Jack was already complicit again. There was little Jack could do to deny Cal. He knew exactly how to turn Jack into his submissive pet.

Cal kept pounding into Jack until Jack was moaning out loud despite himself. “ _Cal, Cal!_ ” Jack cried out as he came, covering both of their shirts in his warm, sticky cum. Cal couldn’t care less, he too finished inside of Jack, and Jack purred at the warm, throbbing sensation of Cal finishing inside of him. 

_He didn’t moan like that with me…_ Rose thought bitterly, clutching the strap of her bag so tight that it hurt. Finally, she stormed through the living room, not even daring to give Jack and Cal another glance, and left the suite with a slam of the door. 

Jack had entirely forgotten about Rose’s presence in the suite. He gasped and buried his face in Cal’s chest in embarrassment, clinging even tighter to the back of his neck. Cal chuckled deviously. “Don’t worry, she’s gone,” 

Jack sighed, “That was so wrong, Cal,” he complained. “What were you thinking?” he asked, although he was pretty sure he already knew what Cal had been thinking.

Cal laughed, “Why should we stop for her?”

“Unbelievable,” Jack scoffed, but he was unable to stay angry with Cal. He pressed his cheek into Cal’s shoulder and breathed in the ashy scent of Cal’s cologne. He couldn’t get enough of Cal, no matter how screwed up he might be. The voice in the back of Jack’s head scolded him, _You know how dangerous this is?_ But Jack ignored the voice. Rose was officially out of the picture, she would be okay, and he had no reason not to give his relationship with Cal a try. He truly believed that he would be okay, too.

 

Heads turned. People stared. Jaws hung open. Jack kept his head down and gripped Cal’s hand tighter. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears with every step he took. He’d never been the center of so much attention, and so much judgement, all at once. Obviously the word of he and Cal’s scandal had spread like wildfire throughout the entire ship. For it wasn’t only Cal’s peers who were staring, it was _everyone_. 

Cal looked straight ahead as if none of it phased him. Maybe it didn’t. Seeing how Cal, who would surely receive more coldness from his own peer group about their relationship, ignored the judgmental looks gave Jack the courage to do so himself. He took a deep breath and lifted his chin up, keeping his eyes straight ahead. 

Jack followed close behind Cal as they stepped out into the bright sunlight. He’d never been more relieved to feel the sun on his skin than he was now, after being cooped up in Cal’s suite for the last two days. As Jack stepped onto solid ground, he felt his chest lightening. The past was now officially behind them. This was he and Cal’s story now.

“Jack,” Cal said, snapping Jack out of his daydream. Jack looked up at Cal, his face illuminated in the sun, and smiled. Cal opened the door to the shiny, black limousine that had come to pick them up and held his hand out to Jack, “Ready?” he asked.

“Yes,” Jack nodded eagerly, his chest feeling like it was about to explode with happiness. 

Cal smiled warmly at Jack, also feeling the freedom of being off of the ship. “Let’s go, then,” he said. 


	9. Oh My God, This is Paradise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry it's taken me 84 years to update (yes, I had to make that reference). But I have a pretty juicy chapter so hopefully that makes up for it. I'm planning to do a Tommy/Fabrizio chapter next, so for those of you who have been waiting, I promise it's coming ;)

Cal’s penthouse apartment was decorated with monochromatic black and gray furniture. The style could be described as modern, with lots of smooth marble countertops, leather couches and chairs, and oddly shaped ceiling lights. Jack had never seen such a luxurious apartment, he always associated apartments with leaky faucets, thin walls, and stained carpets. 

Cal watched Jack as he slowly walked around the interior of the apartment like a shy dog who had just been taken to a new home. Cal cleared his throat and Jack turned away from the curtains that he was running his fingers through lightly to face him. Jack plastered a faint smile on his face as Cal walked up to him and snaked his arms around his waist.

“Do you like it?” Cal asked, surprised to find that he was actually concerned to hear Jack’s opinion. 

“It’s…” Jack trailed off. 

“Jack, what’s wrong?” Cal pulled Jack in closer and moved his chin up so that he had to meet his eyes.

“It’s just so empty. And the whole gray color scheme makes it feel…I don’t know…cold,” Jack shrugged. “I’m sorry…” he quickly added as he saw Cal’s face fall.

“No, no,” Cal reassured Jack. “We’ll get some new decorations. I can even repaint the walls. Whatever you’d like,”

Jack bit his lip to hide his growing grin. “Don’t change everything just for my sake,” he said.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Cal scoffed. “Your comfort is far more important to me. And I didn’t even decorate this place, I hired an interior designer to do all the work,” 

Jack laughed and rubbed his nose against Cal’s playfully. “Of course you did,”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Cal laughed.

“You obviously don’t have an eye for color, and from the looks of this place not a sentimental bone in your body either,” Jack joked, waving his hand at the room around them.

Cal pretended to gasp in surprise, “Harsh,” 

Cal pushed Jack back against the leather couch so that he fell over the armrest and onto his back. Jack giggled and Cal kissed him, teasingly at first but growing increasingly heated. 

“C-Cal…” Jack panted. “We shouldn’t…”

Cal shushed Jack softly, “We don’t have to worry about anyone now. We have this place all to ourselves,” he pressed his lips against Jack’s again.

Jack let his worries fade away as Cal kissed him. Jack moaned softly into their kiss, gripping the back of Cal’s shirt and closing his eyes.

Cal moved his hand up Jack’s thigh and under his shirt. The feeling of his fingers trailing over his body made Jack shiver. Jack gasped and grabbed onto Cal tighter as Cal teased his nipple. Feeling Jack’s heaving chest and slightly bucked hips underneath him made Cal throb in anticipation. He wanted nothing more than to pull Jack’s pants off and fuck him right then and there, but he knew he should take his time. He wanted to take Jack slowly, to make it last all night. 

Luckily, they were interrupted by a gruff throat clearing from the doorway before Cal could lose control. Cal looked up from kissing Jack and glared at Lovejoy.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” he said, giving the two a disgusted once-over.

Cal ignored his disapproving look. “Well, yes you are,” he hissed.

Jack blushed and his his face in Cal’s chest. 

“I’ve brought up the last of your bags,” Lovejoy said, his voice void of any emotion. He glanced down at his boss looming over the blonde street urchin on the couch. _Could they be any less discrete?_ He thought. _They’re frotting like teenagers with the door wide open. And now I’ll have to listen to this all night…Here I thought this would just be a one time thing, but I guess this little shit has officially worked his way into our lives._

“Just put them in our bedroom,” Cal sighed, lifting himself off of the couch, the mood ruined. 

Jack sat up, facing away from the doorway so Lovejoy wouldn’t see his beet-red face and disheveled hair. Cal put a hand on Jack’s shoulder once they were alone again and Jack looked up at him. “You’re right, though, we should probably wait,”

Somewhat disappointed, Jack nodded his head. Cal grinned deviously and cupped Jack’s chin in his hand. “Let’s get an early dinner. Something tells me we won’t be getting much sleep tonight,” he said.

 

Jack flopped onto the bed. It was dark and raining outside and all of their luggage had finally been unpacked. 

“Unpacking was a lot of work,” Jack sighed, staring up at the ceiling. 

“What are you talking about, you only had one bag,” Cal sat down on the bed next to Jack. 

“I was helping you,” Jack rolled onto his side and faced Cal.

“Barely,” Cal pushed Jack onto his back again and climbed on top of him. “I hope you’re not too tired,” he leaned down and pressed his lips against Jack’s. “We have to break this bed in,”

Jack laughed. “These sheets are way too clean, don’t you think?” 

Cal smirked and kissed Jack again. 

“Should we…” 

“Yes. Now hurry up and take your clothes off,”

Jack sat up and pulled his shirt off and then shimmied out of his jeans without hesitation. Cal stood up to unbutton his shirt and step out of his pants as well, and then got back on the bed. Cal pulled Jack closer to his chest and started kissing him softly, caressing his cheek in his hand. He hoped to draw this night out as long as possible. Getting Jack in bed with him on the ship was one thing, but convincing him to stay with him was an even bigger accomplishment.

It didn’t take long before their kiss became much deeper and more heated. Cal grabbed Jack’s hips and pushed him back down onto the bed and then climbed on top of him. He grabbed Jack’s thigh, digging his fingertips into his soft, fair skin, and spread his legs apart. As much as he wanted to immediately start fucking Jack, he decided to go one step further.

Cal got some lube on his fingers and slipped them into Jack. Jack whimpered and bucked his hips enthusiastically. Cal leaned in and kissed the tender skin of Jack’s inner thighs, sucking hard enough to leave marks.

“ _Cal…”_ Jack panted.

“I’m going to take you slowly tonight,” Cal said, biting down on Jack’s soft skin and making him shiver. “We have all the time in the world now, Jack. We don’t have to worry about anybody else,” 

“Mnnm,” Jack covered his mouth with the back of his hand as Cal put his mouth over Jack’s hard cock, still fingering him at the same time. Jack gripped the pillow tightly with one hand and wrapped his fingers in Cal’s hair with the other. Cal held Jack down by the waist, his arm wrapped around Jack’s thigh to keep his legs spread open. Cal pressed his fingers into Jack’s hip hard enough to leave bruises like the ones he’d left on Jack’s thighs. 

“You’re really sucking my fingers in,” Cal teased. “It’s not enough, is it?” Cal sat up and spread Jack’s thighs apart, positioning himself to enter him. 

Jack screamed in relief as Cal penetrated him. Cal growled with desire and pushed Jack’s thighs back so that his back was partially lifted off of the bed. Jack seemed to like the new position. “Y-yes, Cal, d-deeper!” he moaned.

Cal leaned in and kissed Jack’s neck, sucking hard enough to leave more marks. He wanted to mark Jack up as much as he could, now that no one was watching their every move anymore. Now he wanted the world to see that he owned Jack. Cal pushed into Jack harder and deeper, and Jack’s moans and screams grew louder.

Jack clutched the pillow even tighter. “Cal, I’m going to…” he moaned breathlessly.

Cal grabbed a handful of Jack’s hair and pulled his hips up to meet his own. Jack wrapped his thighs tightly around Cal’s waist and pulled him in closer. 

“ _Cal!”_ Jack screamed as he came. Cal kissed Jack tenderly as he slowed down his pace, not ready to finish yet. 

Cal flipped Jack onto his stomach when he was ready to continue. Jack moaned loudly as Cal re-entered him, and it didn’t take long for Jack to get hard again. Cal slipped his fingers into Jack’s mouth as he pounded into him from behind, and Jack sucked and licked Cal’s fingers while moaning. 

“Good boy,” Cal purred, pinching Jack’s plump ass with his other hand. Jack clutched the pillow that he had been lying on earlier to his chest like a life preserver. “It feels so good inside you,” Cal trailed his hand down Jack’s back, pushing him into the bed, and then lifted his hips up so that Jack was in a face-down ass-up position. 

Jack watched Cal over his shoulder, enjoying the sight of Cal’s huge cock thrusting into his ass. Cal watched Jack’s face intensely, loving the blush that spread over Jack’s cheeks and his lusty eyes. 

“Nnn… _Cal_ …” 

“Yes, take it, Jack,” Cal growled, gripping Jack’s hips and thrusting into him even harder. Jack moaned loudly in response, his voice getting higher the way it did when he was close to cumming. 

“Mmm,” Cal groaned, the sound of Jack’s voice making him throb.

Jack moaned again, feeling Cal grow inside of him. He bit his lip and watched Cal through teary eyes. The look on his face making Cal even harder. Jack whimpered in response, his legs starting to shake. 

“Does it feel good?” Cal asked, slightly out of breath. 

“Yes,” Jack panted. Cal’s rock hard cock inside of him felt like heaven. His heart pounded in his chest as he watched the way Cal looked at him. Even though his facial expression barely cracked, his eyes were full of hunger. Cal looked at Jack the way a wolf would look at its prey, and the feeling of being craved and desired so intensely by Cal made Jack’s whole body feel warm. 

Jack squeezed his eyes shut as he came, moaning Cal’s name again. Seeing Jack’s face and hearing his voice in orgasm was enough to finally drive Cal over the edge too. Cal finished deep inside Jack and then watched in satisfaction as his cum dripped down Jack’s thighs when he pulled out. 

Jack sighed in relief and collapsed into the sheets and Cal laid down beside him. Jack dozed off in Cal’s arms while Cal stroked his damp hair and kissed his forehead. Just before Jack fell asleep he heard Cal whisper, “Get some rest, because we’re going to do that all night,”


	10. Better off as Lovers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You have called and I have answered. My first solely Tommy/Fabrizio smut/fluff chapter. More to come soon because they are adorable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first time writing smut for these two so I hope you all like it. I love their characters and their relationship so I'll definitely work more scenes with them into this fic from now on. If you have any requests for what you want to see them do, I'm totally open to that.

“What’s with your friend?” Tommy asked as soon as Jack had left the room. “He seems a little, uh…” Tommy made a little twirling motion over his head. 

Fabrizio laughed, maybe a little too much, at the attractive stranger’s imitation of Jack. “Crazy? No, he’s just a bit of a bubble head sometimes.” Fabrizio smiled. 

Tommy was right on some level, though. While Jack liked to think that he was the one looking out for Fabrizio, it was really Fabrizio that took care of Jack. Jack had come into Fabrizio’s family after his parents died in a tragic car accident, and ever since Fabrizio felt protective of him. However, Jack’s feelings of helplessness after losing his family manifested in his desire to save everyone else. Fabrizio was not stupid, nor was he helpless. Fabrizio was actually the more level-headed and self-sufficient one of the duo, although maybe a bit reckless sometimes. But Fabrizio let Jack believe that he needed him, because that was how he protected Jack. 

“He’s a complete bubble head, _all_ of the time,” Tommy corrected gruffly.

“Hey, that’s not fair. You’ve only known him a few days,” Fabrizio nudged Tommy in the ribs.

“Like I can even say that. He’s barely around,” 

“Okay, give him a break, he’s been through a lot,” Fabrizio swung his leg over Tommy’s lap and straddled him. “You seem quite caught up with him,” 

Tommy put his hand on Fabrizio’s waist and pulled him in for a quick kiss. “Just because I can tell that he’s straining you,” Tommy said seriously. Fabrizio pulled back and gave him a puzzled look.

“He’s not straining me,” Fabrizio laughed.

Tommy gently ran his fingers along Fabrizio’s cheek and over his jawline. “You seem tired. And worried. I’ve only known you a few days, but…”

Fabrizio leaned into Tommy’s warm caress, looking into his emerald green eyes. “I am a little worried about him, yes,” Fabrizio sighed. Something about Tommy made him want to tell the truth. It made him uncomfortable, getting so close to another man after so many years of prioritizing his best friend and only having flings. “I mean, before the other night, Jack was still a _virgin,_ and now he’s lost it to two of those blue-blooded sociopaths in one night. I just think it’s messing with his emotions,”

“Well, it’s not your job to protect him all the time. You aren’t his parent,” Tommy said, tracing the line of Fabrizio’s hip bone with his thumb. 

Fabrizio sighed and closed his eyes. “I know,” he said, and then giggled. “Every parent has to let their kids go at some point, am I right?”

Tommy rolled his eyes, but couldn’t conceal the smirk tugging at his lips. “That’s the opposite of what I said, but yes, you need to let him fuck around with rich people until he finds out for himself what a mess it is,”

Fabrizio nodded and leaned in to kiss Tommy again. This time their kiss was deeper and longer. Tommy ran his hands up Fabrizio’s thighs and under his shirt. Fabrizio moaned as Tommy ran his fingers over his already perked nipples. Fabrizio impatiently pushed Tommy back onto the bed, pinning him down by the shoulders. Tommy chuckled, “Nice try,” he grabbed Fabrizio by the wrists and flipped him over so that he was on the bottom. 

Fabrizio pouted, “Darn,”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You’re not a top,” Tommy kissed Fabrizio’s neck heatedly. 

Fabrizio squirmed as Tommy’s beard tickled his sensitive skin. “Maybe I wanted to ride it, though,” he said mischievously.

“Next time,” Tommy promised as he stood up to unbutton himself. Fabrizio licked his lips as he watched Tommy unzip his half hard cock and reveal his chiseled abdomen. Fabrizio unzipped his own jeans and Tommy hastily helped him pull them off. Once unclothed, Tommy leaned over Fabrizio again, caressing his thigh and kissing him as he entered him slowly. Fabrizio moaned as Tommy slipped into him, grabbing onto his shaggy hair with one hand and holding onto his thick bicep with the other. 

“You take it so well,” Tommy growled against Fabrizio’s neck. 

“You fuck really well,” Fabrizio said in between moans. 

Tommy smirked. “Are you surprised?”

“No,” Fabrizio shook his head. “You’re like…Thor. And everyone knows Thor had many male lovers,” he winked at Tommy teasingly. 

“I’m flattered that you’d compare me to Chris Hemsworth,” Tommy played along. “And, of course, the Norse God of lightning,”

Fabrizio laughed. “Chris Hemsworth is hot, but you’re hotter,”

“Okay, now you’re being ridiculous,” Tommy rolled his eyes and quieted Fabrizio with another kiss. Fabrizio was a perky little thing, but Tommy loved their witty banter. 

Tommy continued to have Fabrizio on the edge of the bed. Fabrizio wrapped his legs around Tommy’s waist and clung to his shirt as Tommy picked up his pace.

“ _Ahh, yes, Tommy,”_ Fabrizio moaned, his voice getting higher. 

Tommy groaned, struggling to control himself. “Shit, Fabrizio,”

“Oh, fuck!” Fabrizio gasped as he came unexpectedly. Tommy drove him over the edge in every way possible. He was better than any other man that Fabrizio had been with.

Tommy finished soon after Fabrizio, pulling out of him and cumming all over his stomach. Fabrizio looked up at Tommy with glassy eyes. “That was amazing,” he said breathlessly.

Tommy pushed Fabrizio’s damp hair back and kissed his forehead. “Do you think Jack will be mad that we had sex on his bed?” he asked as soon as the high from their lovemaking started to wear off.

Fabrizio laughed out loud, having forgotten that they were on Jack’s bed. “He doesn’t have to know. This can be our secret,” he winked. 

 


	11. The Less I Know the Better

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashback chapter from Molly and Rose's POV

Jack stumbled out of Cal’s suite, his legs still shaking and sore from their… _activities_. He closed the door behind him quietly and sighed, steadying himself against the wall. He closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose. _Why did I do that?_ he berated himself. _I’m such an idiot…_

Jack opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling hopelessly. He stepped away from the wall and began his walk of shame back to his own room, keeping this eyes to the floor.

“Jack?” a familiar southern accent called out to him. Jack jumped and jerked his head back up. He’d been so lost in thought that he hadn’t noticed anyone coming towards him.

“Woah there,” Molly said, giving Jack a confused look. Jack tried to calm down and make himself look less, well, terrified. 

“Hi, Molly,” he forced a laugh. “I didn’t see you, there,” his voice was still shaky even though he fought to control it.

“What are you doing up here?” Molly raised an eyebrow at Jack and glanced around the empty hallway. She had just come back from after dinner tea and knew for a fact that Rose wasn’t upstairs. 

“Um-I-“ Jack stammered. His heart pounded. He never thought of a cover story. In his defense, he didn’t expect this to happen. _Ever._

Just before Molly could accuse him of anything, Cal stepped out into the hallway, fully dressed and with a drink in his hand. No one would ever suspect that he’d just finished fucking the shit out of Jack. 

Jack gaped at Cal, surprised by his quick transformation and relieved that he’d come out to save him. He may as well have had a halo around his head. Cal shot Jack a warning look and Jack quickly shook his head and looked away from Cal. Jack cleared his throat and stood up taller, trying to look as casual as possible.

“What seems to be the problem, Ms. Brown?” Cal asked innocently, standing beside Jack. Jack could feel Cal’s warmth next to him, finding it oddly comforting even though his heart pounded even harder. He glanced at Cal from the corner of his eye. Cal didn’t seem concerned at all by the situation. In fact, it was almost enough to convince Jack that nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

Molly stared at the two men quizzically. “What were you two doing up here?” the asked, not buying Cal’s performance.

Cal took a sip of his drink and then held his glass up, “Having drinks, of course. Can’t two men have drinks?” he laughed.

“So you two are BFF’s now?” Molly was still suspicious.

“Um,” Jack started, looking to Cal for help. Cal glanced down at Jack and nodded his head ever so slightly.

“We’re trying to resolve our differences,” Cal answered confidently. Jack nodded in agreement, plastering on an angelic smile.

Molly squinted at them. “Uh huh…” she said slowly. Molly was not stupid, she knew something was up. If they were having drinks together at night, then why was Jack acting like adeer caught in headlights when she found him in the hallway? She also knew that there was no way Cal would ever try to befriend someone like Jack, especially after all that had happened. Cal was not that mature and Jack was not that naive. The question was, what did Cal want from Jack? She gave the two another once-over, noting Jack’s disheveled appearance, trembling hands, and slight limp. However, Cal exhibited none of those symptoms. If anything, Cal looked even more laid back than usual. _Could they have…_ Molly pushed the insane idea out of her head. _There’s no way,_ she told herself.

“Well, it’s late. I’m sure you’re tired, Ms. Brown. We’ll let you be on your way,” Cal said politely. He gave Molly a chaste nod and a smile.

“Hm, alright. Goodnight Cal. Jack,” Molly nodded at them both, looking into Jack’s eyes for just a second longer. Something told her Jack was guilty.

Molly walked past Cal and Jack and down the hall. Once they heard her door click shut, Jack let out a long breath that he didn’t realize he’d been holding. He looked up at Cal. “That was too close,” he whispered.

Cal stepped closer to Jack and wrapped his arm around Jack’s shoulders, pulling him to his chest. Jack breathed in the scent of Cal’s cologne and closed his eyes. “We need to be more careful,” he said shakily.

“It’s okay, she won’t say anything. And it doesn’t matter if she does. No one will believe her,” Cal said, pressing his lips to Jack’s hair softly. Jack’s heart was being tugged in two different directions, but when he was in Cal’s arms he felt safe. 

 

The next morning, what Molly had seen in the hall still bothered her. She wanted to demand answers from Cal, but she knew there was no way he’d tell her the truth. Jack had been MIA since the night of _the incident_ , which she thought was too bad. She really had enjoyed Jack’s company, and had been rooting for him and Rose. But now she was starting to wonder if she’d trusted him too easily.

Molly finally decided that the only way she could figure out what was going on was to investigate for herself. After breakfast that morning, she wandered the first class halls near Cal’s suite, and when she didn’t catch anything suspicious, she knocked on his door. No answer. She sighed, Cal was probably still downstairs having lunch or a smoke with the “boy’s club.”

Molly made her way back downstairs, craving a drink from the bar. It was almost lunchtime, so she figured it wasn’t too early for alcohol. She sighed and hoisted herself onto a barstool, flagging a waiter down. In the corner of her eye she caught sight of Jack’s blonde hair at one of the tables. She looked a little closer and sure enough, there he was. He was sitting with Rose, which was even more confusing. _So is he still in the picture or not?_

Molly sipped her drink as she discreetly watched the two from the corner of her eye. She could already tell that Jack was acting different. He looked tense, and he wasn’t saying a lot. He looked uncomfortable when Rose reached across the table and took his hand. Normally, he would reciprocate, especially since she looked worried and upset. She shook her head, unable to pin down what could be troubling Jack. 

She was just about to give up on it, feeling a bit silly for spying on two kids on a date, but then she caught sight of something even weirder. Cal’s butler was sitting at a table in the back corner of the room, a menu open on the table to hide his face. It was honestly a hilarious scene out of the context of the situation, he looked like something out of a cartoon. Molly followed his eyes over to the table where Jack and Rose sat, but, to her surprise, he wasn’t watching Rose, he was watching Jack. He seemed to be intently watching Jack’s every move, his eyebrows furrowing whenever Jack put his hand over Rose’s.

Molly checked to see if Jack had any idea that he was watching them, because if he did then that would explain his stand-offish behavior, but he did not do so much as glance in Lovejoy’s direction. _So if Jack doesn’t know he’s being watched, then what is this all about?_

When the two stood up from their table and hugged briefly before parting ways, Molly noticed that Jack kept his eyes down the whole time. He couldn’t look her in the eyes, he didn’t smile, and when they hugged he barely touched her. Jack couldn’t just lose interest in Rose in a couple nights, and he definitely wasn’t scared of Cal. He had to be feeling guilty about something.

 

That evening, Molly excused herself from after dinner tea early. She wasn’t too hopeful, but she wanted to at least try to catch Cal and Jack again. Her heart pounded in anticipation as she stepped off of the elevator and into the hallway. It was quiet. Too quiet. Everyone was either in their rooms for the night or having dinner. _The perfect time to sneak away,_ she thought. She waited at the end of the hallway, watching Cal’s door. After a minute or two she felt silly. Sighing, she turned to the elevator again, but just as she was about to press the up button, the elevator dinged and started to open. Quickly, she ducked into the stairwell.

She peeked out of the small window on the door to the stairwell and watched Jack step out of the elevator. “I knew it!” she whispered to herself.

Jack walked down the hall and stopped at Cal’s room. He took a deep breath, his shoulder moving up and down, and then knocked. He slipped his hands into his pockets nervously while he waited. A few seconds later, the door opened and Cal greeted Jack with a devious smirk. Cal grabbed Jack’s arm and pulled him into the room, shutting the door hastily behind them. 

Molly stood with her mouth agape. _What on earth could they be doing?_

Without hesitation, she stepped back into the hallway and marched over to Cal’s door. She pressed her ear up to the door and heard muffled voices inside the living room. She couldn’t make out anything they were saying, but their voices were low and the conversation seemed friendly. _Maybe they are friends now?_ Moly wondered, although it didn’t make a lick of sense. If they were just friends, why were they being so secretive about it?

Molly kept listening, hearing glasses clink and Jack laugh. Their voices stopped for a few minutes, and Molly strained to hear what they were doing. Just as she was beginning to feel frustrated, she heard Jack moan. Her eyes widened. _Did I really just hear that?_

Molly heard another door open and close, most likely the bedroom door. She waited a minute and then tried the doorknob, surprised to find that Cal had left the door unlocked. Molly quietly stepped into the living room and closed the door behind her. Two half-empty glasses of scotch were left on the coffee table, and Jack’s jacket was also strewn across the couch. 

Molly nearly jumped when she heard a loud thump from the bedroom. She tiptoed over to the door and pressed her ear against the glossy mahogany. She heard Jack moan loudly, accompanied by rhythmic pounding. There was no doubt about it anymore, her gut feeling had been right all along. Jack continued to moan on the other side of the door, and the thumping got even faster. 

“ _Cal…_ ” Jack moaned erotically. Molly looked down at the door handle, with its old-fashioned key hole. She felt ridiculous, but she bent down and squinted through the key hole, hoping to catch a glimpse of what was going on inside. Hearing it was still so unbelievable, she needed to see it to be truly convinced. 

Jack was on his back on (what used to be) Cal and Rose’s bed, and Cal was on top of him. Jack had his legs wrapped around Cal’s waist as Cal moved into him. Cal had his hand wrapped up in Jack’s hair and was kissing his neck passionately. Jack tightened his grip on the back of Cal’s shirt, “ _Harder,”_ he panted. Cal sat back on his ankles and spread Jack’s thighs apart, granting Jack’s command. The headboard rattled against the wall and Jack moaned and whimpered, his fists grappling at the bedsheets. 

“You couldn’t stay away from me, could you?” Cal asked, his voice low. 

Jack bit his lip and looked up at Cal with an expression of pure lust. The answer was obviously no, Jack couldn’t stay away. 

Molly decided she’d seen enough; her suspicions had been confirmed. She stood up, rubbing her temples, and made her way out of the suite. _I have to say something._ She thought about Rose, who most likely had no idea what Jack was doing behind her back. Her stomach churned with anger. How dare Jack betray Rose like that? Especially after all Molly had done to help him.

 

The next morning, Molly knew she had to warn Rose somehow. She knew she couldn’t tell her what she’d seen, because it would sound too crazy. But she had a plan.

“Hey, Rose,” Molly whispered as soon as the two of them had a moment alone. “Have you seen Jack, recently?” she asked, trying to sound casual.

“Yesterday, why?” Rose asked, looking concerned. 

“I haven’t seen him since the other night when…you know…and I was getting kind of worried,” Molly lied.

“Well, he’s okay. He has been acting a bit off since the whole incident,” Rose sighed. 

“That’s too bad,” Molly paused, gauging Rose’s reaction. “What about Cal?”

Rose frowned at the mention of Cal. “I haven’t spoken to him at all since moving out,” she said flatly.

“Hmm,” Molly nodded. “Well, I heard he’s been sort of AWOL, too,”

Rose shrugged, expressing zero interest in what Cal was doing with his free time. 

“Um, the reason I bring this up,” Molly started, “Is because some of the things he’s been doing, like sneaking around and leaving dinner early, sounds like he’s having an affair,”

“Well, we’re not getting married anymore,”

“Does your mom know that?” Rose glared at Molly. “Listen, if you manage to catch him in the act, it might be enough to convince your mother to get off your back,”

Rose nodded slowly. “You’re right,” she looked up and stared off into a faraway place. “I wonder who the other woman is,” she pondered. 

Molly bit her tongue. _Other woman…sure._

 

Later that evening, Rose decided to sneak back into her suite and catch Cal in the act. Her stomach fluttered with anticipation. She was ready to feign betrayal, maybe even shed a few crocodile tears, but she also half expected to laugh and jump up and down with excitement. She wanted to rub her victory in Cal’s face.

The used the room key she still had and slipped inside of Cal’s suite. Immediately, she heard thumping and moaning coming from the bedroom. _Molly was right!_

She marched over to the bedroom and flung the door open, prepared to shout, “Gothca!” But as soon as she saw who Cal had in his bed, her jaw hung open and she felt like someone had punched her in the gut.

“Jack?” she breathed. Jack met her eyes and his face fell. He looked just as shocked as she did. Cal finally acknowledged Rose’s presence as well, but instead of shock, he shot Rose an irritated glare. Rose swallowed, her throat feeling like sandpaper, and backed out of the room. She slammed the bedroom door shut and backed away, nearly falling onto the couch. She slumped over and caught her breath, then the tears started to fall. 


	12. Imagine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry it's been forever. My life has been pretty crazy this summer, but I finally found the time and motivation to write so I'll be posting regularly again for awhile (yay!). This chapter is kind of short, but there's much more to come!

Jack looked down at the comforter, images of the previous night flashing through his mind. It had been good—great—the best he’d ever had, in fact. The first night of the rest of their lives.

He smiled, running his fingers over the indent in the sheets where Cal had slept beside him. Jack sighed, Cal had probably woken up early and gone downstairs to do work or something. No matter what, there was always something that begged for Cal’s attention.

Jack winced as he stood up, sore from their night of strenuous lovemaking. He dug around in the closet until he found something to wear, and then headed downstairs to find Cal.

The downstairs area was filled with the sounds of rustling cardboard and muffled voices. Jack stepped into the living room apprehensively, scanning the room for Cal, who was clearly absent. He noticed one of the housemaids struggling to pick up a box and rushed over to help her.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take it,” he smiled warmly at the frail woman, who stared at him as if he were a ghost. 

Jack glanced down at himself to make sure his shirt wasn’t on backwards or something, but nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary.

“Um, where…” he started. 

The housemaid finally jolted out of her shock, “Upstairs, sir,” she said quietly, rushing for the stairs.

Jack followed her upstairs and she held open a door at the end of the hall. Jack entered the room with the box in his arms. The walls were painted a dull grey and a mahogany desk sat stoically in front of a wall-length window facing the city. Jack set the box down on the desk and stared in wonder at the penthouse view. He stepped closer and placed a hand over the glass. “This is amazing,” he whispered to himself.

“Cal was never afraid of heights,” the maid said from the other side of the room. Jack turned back around and faced her. She had finally returned his friendly smile. She walked over to where Jack stood and held out her hand, “I’m Trudy,” she said.

Jack shook her hand. “Jack. Well, I’m sure you already knew that,” he laughed.

“Sorry if I acted surprised earlier…I just…wasn’t sure if Cal wanted us to be friendly or not,” she blushed ever so slightly and shifted her eyes away from Jack’s.

“Why’s that?” Jack asked.

“Cal isn’t the warmest man,” Trudy laughed. “He never liked it when…” she shook her head, figuring she shouldn’t say much else about her boss.

“When what?” Jack pressed, furrowing his brow.

“Oh, um…” Trudy floundered. “You know, I should get back downstairs…” she nearly ran away from Jack.

“Wait!” Jack called after her. “I didn’t mean to pry, I just…”

“Just what, Dawson?” Lovejoy loomed in the entrance like a spider on the wall. Jack hadn’t noticed him in the apartment before, and was definitely surprised to see him standing in the doorway with no purpose. Jack glanced around for Cal. 

“Where’s Cal?” Jack demanded, keeping his eyes locked on Lovejoy.

“Not here. He has a lot of work to do. I wouldn’t expect you to understand.” Lovejoy smirked.

Jack was not amused by his rude comment. “Do you know when he’ll be back?” he asked.

“He shouldn’t be long. He asked me to keep an eye on you in the meantime,”

“I can keep an eye on myself,” Jack said flatly. His heart sunk a little at the idea that Cal didn’t trust him to be alone in the apartment.

“Very well, then. Just leave this young lady to her work,”

Jack rolled his eyes and walked back towards their bedroom, figuring he’d wait for Cal there.

 

“Jack?” Cal walked through the bedroom door less than an hour later. Jack pulled his headphones out of his ears and smiled as Cal approached him.

“Hey,” Jack wrapped his arms around Cal’s neck as Cal embraced him. “Where’d you go?”

“The office,” Cal answered. “Just to see that everything’s being taken care of,”

“I thought you were going to take the rest of the week off,” Jack pouted. “To be with me,”

“Don’y worry,” Cal kissed Jack’s forehead. “I am,”

Jack smiled contentedly. “Good,”

Cal chuckled and kissed Jack on the lips tenderly. 

“Oh, and just so you know,” Jack whispered when they pulled away. “I don’t need to be babysat,”

“What?” Cal asked.

“You told your manservant to ‘keep an eye on me,’” Jack said. “That won’t be necessary. That is, assuming you trust me,”

“What—Jack, I do trust you,” Cal laughed. “I didn’t tell him to _watch_ you, I meant for him to make sure you were okay, or to see if you needed anything,”

“That’s not how he made it sound,” Jack squinted at Cal.

“Jack,” Cal took Jack’s hands in his own. “You know I would never imply anything like that about you,”

Jack smirked, noticing the irony of it all, and nodded. “I know. But, I also don’t need to be guarded all the time. I can take care of myself,” he said seriously. 

“Of course you can, Jack. I don’t doubt that,”

“But…” Jack raised an eyebrow at Cal, feeling that he wasn’t finished.

“But,” Cal pushed a strand of Jack’s golden hair behind his ear. “I also want you to be comfortable. You shouldn’t have to do everything by yourself,”

Jack knew it would be hard to talk Cal out of this. Cal had lived his whole life with housemaids and servants, he knew no other way. It was just a part of Cal’s world that Jack had to get used to. Jack bit his lip, trying not to think about how weird it felt to just sit back and have someone else do everything for you. _But I won’t order them around_ , he thought. _No one says you can’t be friendly to your housekeepers. It’s not like I’ll give them much more work than they already have._ Jack sympathized enough to know how to be respectful, but also understood that assimilating into Cal’s world would be awkward for awhile.

Jack nodded after a brief pause, “Sure,” he said quietly.

Cal lifted Jack’s chin up gingerly. “Hey,” he whispered.

Jack shot him a wary expression.

“I’m going to be home all day tomorrow. We can do some shopping for you,” Cal lend in and kissed Jack’s cheek.

Jack grinned in spite of his lingering frustration. “You don’t need to buy me anything,” he laughed as Cal sat on the bed next to him and started kissing his neck.

“Of course I do. You’re my boyfriend,” Cal said in between kisses. “You need to be spoiled,”

Jack rolled his eyes. “You’re spoiling me enough already,” he said, his breath quickening.

Cal chuckled. “You haven’t seen anything yet,”

“I haven’t?” Jack asked jokingly as Cal pulled away from his neck and faced him. Jack wrapped his arms around Cal’s neck and pulled him in as he kissed Jack’s lips.

Their kiss deepened and Jack whimpered softly, already aching for more. Cal lifted Jack’s shirt up and ran his hand up Jack’s back. Jack shivered in anticipation and clutched at Cal’s shirt. Cal pushed Jack down onto the bed and climbed on top of him. Jack bucked his hips against Cal’s leg, desperately trying to feel some friction. Cal moved hands down Jack’s body feverishly, gripping his thigh and lifting his hips up so that he could fit in between Jack’s legs. 

Jack moaned softly, grinding himself against Cal. “Cal…” he panted.

“So impatient,” Cal clicked his tongue.

“So are you,” Jack challenged.

Cal scoffed. “Me?” he yanked at Jack’s waistband. “Impatient?” Jack lifted his hips up so Cal could pull his pants down. 

Cal coated his fingers in lube and pushed them inside Jack as he started kissing Jack’s neck again. Jack moaned shamelessly as Cal worked him tenderly. However, Cal didn’t stop fingering Jack when he was ready.

Jack bit his lip and squirmed, wanting to feel Cal inside of him. “Cal…” he begged. “Come on,”

But Cal didn’t stop, he just moved even faster. “Cal!” Jack panted, bucking his hips and gripping the bedsheets.

“Relax, pet,” Cal cooed into Jack’s neck. “I’m just spoiling you,”

Cal moved down and to Jack’s surprise wrapped his lips around his rock hard erection. Jack gasped and bit the back of his hand to keep from screaming. 

“Cal…” Jack moaned. “I can’t…”

“What’s wrong, pet?” Cal asked, kissing the inside of Jack’s soft thigh.

“You’re going to…make me cum,” Jack panted.

“What’s wrong with that?” Cal smirked, sinking his teeth into Jack’s sweet skin.

Jack yelped, his legs starting to quiver. “You haven’t…”

“I can do this to you all night, Jack,” Cal said, his voice deep.

Jack’s back arched and he cried out as he came on his stomach unexpectedly. Cal smirked. “And I’m far from being finished,” he licked his lips and finally sat up to unbutton himself. Jack laid back and prepared for another full night of sex. He grinned to himself as Cal moved back on top of him. He knew this obsessive love making would slow down eventually, but he was enjoying it while it lasted, no matter how exhausted and sore Cal left him. But he also couldn’t wait for the next step in their adventure together. He imagined shopping with Cal, redecorating the apartment, going on vacations, maybe even adopting a dog. The fantasy made Jack feel warm. It was simple, and maybe at one time in his life he would have considered a quiet life boring. But he was ready to settle down with Cal. The fantasy didn’t last long. As Cal thrusted into Jack, it dissipated into fireworks of pleasure behind his eyes.

 

“Good morning,” Cal said sweetly, pushing a few strands of Jack’s blond hair off of his forehead.

Jack’s eyes fluttered open, and when he looked up at Cal he smiled. “Hi,” he said sleepily. Seeing Jack’s doe blue eyes and content smile made Cal feel something in his chest that he’d never felt before. Cal hesitated and then brushed away the feeling. 

“It’s almost noon, Jack,” he said softly, continuing to run his fingers through Jack’s soft hair. 

“Is it?” Jack mumbled into the pillow. 

Cal nodded, a grin pulling at the corners of his lips. “You should shower and get dressed so we can go out. We’ll get lunch first, okay?” he said softly.

Jack smiled and started to sit up. “Okay,”

“I’ll wait for you downstairs,” Cal kissed Jack’s forehead and left him to get ready.

Jack giggled to himself when Cal left the room. He still couldn’t believe the strange turn of events that led him here, with Cal. Every morning he woke up in Cal’s bed felt so surreal. He wondered if he’d ever get used to it.

 

Once Cal closed the bedroom door, his lovestruck grin faded. He had an awkward conversation ahead of him. Jack’s discomfort with Lovejoy was troubling him. Especially since he knew a lot more than Jack did about all the things Lovejoy was probably thinking. If he wanted to earn Jack’s trust, and make sure that he felt safe with him, he knew what he had to do, and it wasn’t going to go smoothly.

Cal walked downstairs slowly. Trudy was in the living room dusting the mantle. He cleared his throat loudly, making her snap her head around and look at him with eyes like a startled deer. “Can you give us a moment, please?” Cal asked her quietly. Trudy nodded and scuttled upstairs. 

Lovejoy watched Cal as he walked up to him. He was pretty sure he knew what was about to happen.

“You’re making Jack uncomfortable,” Cal said flatly.

Lovejoy raised an eyebrow, pretending to be confused. “Oh?”

Cal say right through Lovejoy’s act. “I know I said…”

“You did,” Lovejoy cut Cal off hastily.

Cal frowned at Lovejoy, surprised by his sudden mouthiness. 

“We had a deal, Cal. I’d help you get him, and you’d share,” Lovejoy said through gritted teeth.

“What can I say, things turned out differently,” Cal said defensively.

“I’ve been nothing but loyal to you, Cal. I’ve helped your family for years, and all I asked was for one favor,” Lovejoy hissed. 

Cal stepped back and stared at Lovejoy in shock. “Have you forgotten why?” he finally asked, his anger rising. Lovejoy didn’t answer. Cal stepped back in front of him. “We took you in and gave you a job, a home, a family, and saved you reputation to cover up your dishonorable discharge from the military,” Cal spat back. “Why my father was so attached to you, I never understood. But it ends now. I can’t have you around him,”

Lovejoy shook his head, pressing his lips together and balling his fists to conceal his rage. He’d gotten quite good at that. “Then you have no idea the man your father was,” he growled.

Cal didn’t respond. He stared Lovejoy down intensely until he finally stormed out of the apartment. As soon as the door slammed shut Cal let out a long breath. He hoped that was the last time he’d ever see Lovejoy. “I owe you nothing,” he muttered to himself, turning away from the door. His stomach churned, remembering the deal he’d made with Lovejoy the night he first met Jack. Back then he didn’t know, he couldn’t have known, how he’d feel about Jack. He only saw Jack as an obstacle back then, an obstacle he could play with a little bit. Of course he felt guilty for ever promising Jack’s body to someone like Lovejoy now that he felt the way he did about Jack. He thought Lovejoy would back off when he called the deal off, but for reasons Cal couldn’t understand he never let it go. After that he knew he couldn’t have Lovejoy around Jack, and what Jack had said the night before confirmed his fears. Now that Jack was a part of his life, he was willing to make sacrifices to keep him in it. 

 

Jack pranced down the stairs two at a time, a giddy grin on his face and Cal’s cologne on his neck. When Cal heard Jack coming he plastered on a carefree expression and held his arm out for Jack. 

“Ready?” he asked Jack. Jack nodded and lifted himself up on his toes to kiss Cal’s cheek. Then Cal didn’t need to force his expression anymore. 

Jack was wearing a grungy band T-shirt and a purple flannel over black jeans and with scuffed up Converse high-tops, while Cal was dressed in what might be considered a business-casual outfit. The two of them looked at each other and both wondered which of them was overdressed and which was underdressed, but since Jack didn’t yet feel qualified to critique Cal and Cal thought Jack was cute in his “emo teenager” clothes, neither said anything. However, Cal did make a mental note to get Jack some formal wear. 

“You’ve really never been to New York City before?” Cal asked Jack as they stepped into the elevator. 

Jack shook his head. “I’ve always wanted to, though. I even applied to NYU,” he paused and laughed dryly. “That didn’t quite pan out…”

Cal took Jack’s hand and kissed the top of his head. “You’re here now,” he reminded him.

“Yeah,” Jack smiled at Cal, making Cal want to pull Jack into his chest.

Instead, Cal just smiled back. “Let’s go,” 

 

“You’re driving?” Jack asked when Cal unlocked his sleek, black Mercedes and slipped into the driver’s seat.

Cal made a face at Jack. “Yes, Jack. I can drive,” 

“I know, I just mean…doesn’t your _valet_ drive you around everywhere?” Jack asked as he got into the front seat.

“It’s not very far,” Cal answered flatly. 

Jack sensed that something was off, but since he knew Cal could be moody he didn’t say anything.

As they were pulling out of the parking garage, Jack felt someone glaring at him through the window. In a fraction of a second he caught sight of Lovejoy lurking behind the steering wheel of a car parked in the very back of the lot. He tried to look back, but Cal had already sped out of the garage and into the street.

“Wait…” Jack said thoughtlessly, straining to see behind him.

“What’s wrong?” Cal asked, keeping his gaze focused ahead.

Jack shook his head and told himself that it was probably nothing to worry about. It was probably Lovejoy’s day off or something, and he always glared at Jack. “Don’t worry about it, I just…thought I saw something,” Jack muttered.

“You don’t have to be so jumpy,” Cal said, moving one hand off the steering wheel to squeeze Jack’s. Jack smiled warmly at Cal.

“I know,” Jack said, squeezing Cal’s hand back.


	13. Back to You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm posting a little early this time because I know this next week is gonna be hectic for me. Also, I feel bad for my "hiatus" this summer. Anyway, the plot thickens! Enjoy :)

“You never mentioned you can speak Japanese?” Jack giggled, wrapping his arms around Cal’s neck. 

“Only a little. Just for business,” Cal rolled his eyes, pulling Jack’s waist closer.

“I’m still impressed,” Jack brushed his lips against Cal’s jawline.

“You never mentioned how much of a ‘weeb’ you are,” Cal teased.

“And you still want me around?” Jack nuzzled into Cal’s neck.

Jack had crawled into Cal’s lap after breakfast, and they had been sitting like that for the remainder of the morning. Cal held Jack close to him and Jack cuddled into Cal’s chest. Cal traced his hands under Jack’s shirt and over his bare back tenderly and Jack closed his eyes, breathing in the smell of Cal’s aftershave and fabric softener. _Two weeks ago I never would have imagined myself here_ , Jack thought to himself, smiling at the irony. 

Cal stroked Jack’s hair absentmindedly, and Jack lifted his head up from Cal’s shoulder and kissed his cheek. Cal smiled and faced Jack, and then their lips melted together. Even though they’d been kissing all morning, and all week, every time still felt like the first for Jack. As their kiss grew deeper, Cal became a little more handsy and Jack moved so that he was straddling Cal’s lap. 

“Hungry already?” Cal teased, his voice low. Jack bucked his hips against Cal’s leg in response.

Cal gripped Jack’s butt and pulled him closer until their erections were rubbing together. Jack moaned softly into their kiss and clung to Cal tighter. Only ten seconds later, Cal could barely stand it anymore; he hastily tugged at Jack’s pants, slipping his hand into the back so he could finger Jack.

Jack’s breathing grew heavier as Cal’s fingers prodded inside him. His hips bucked on their own accord. “Cal…” he panted, pulling away from their kiss to give Cal a pleading look. He knew Cal couldn’t resist his sex-hungry puppy eyes.

Jack was right, seeing Jack’s aroused facial expressions made him throb with anticipation. He looked down at Jack’s wet lips and started pushing Jack’s head down.Jack smirked when he realized what Cal was asking for. He slipped off of Cal’s lap and onto his knees in front of the chair. Cal grabbed Jack’s hair and watched him intently as he unbuttoned Cal’s pants and pulled him out. Jack’s eyes widened seeing Cal’s fully erect cock so close to his face. He still couldn’t believe how massive Cal was. 

Cal pulled Jack’s head towards him and Jack looked up into Cal’s eyes and licked his lips before wrapping his lips around Cal’s cock. Cal made a sound that was halfway between a chuckle and a groan as Jack slid his mouth down the length of him. Jack flicked his tongue around the head as he came back up, staring up at Cal lustfully. Cal watched in amusement.

Jack closed his eyes and dove back down, feeling Cal’s warm cock slide down his throat. He fought the urge to gag and kept going down until his nose touched Cal’s stomach.

“F-fuck,” Cal hissed, tightening his grip on Jack’s hair. Jack came back up with a wet ‘pop’. 

“Jesus Christ, when did you learn to do that?” Cal panted.

“I’ve been practicing,” Jack winked, wiping some drool off of his chin.

“Keep going then,” Cal pulled Jack into him again and Jack eagerly wrapped his mouth around Cal, going up and down with sloppy tongue movements.

Cal laughed in wonderment at how well Jack was doing. “Is this what you’ve been doing while I’ve been at work?” 

Jack just looked up and winked again. He was quite glad to see all those hours of deep-throating popsicles in front of the bathroom mirror pay off.

A few moments later, Cal groaned and yanked Jack’s hair back. Jack blinked in confusion as to why Cal had just pushed him away, but realized why as bursts of warm, sticky cum coated his face. Jack moaned, enjoying the impressive cumshot. 

Cal stared down at Jack, taking in the view. Jack had cum splattered all over his pretty little face, dripping down his chin, and even stuck in his hair. Cal had been fantasizing about that very image since the first night he saw Jack.

Jack licked his lips and wiped some cum off of his cheek and into his mouth with his finger. 

“That was amazing, pet,” Cal zipped himself up and ruffled Jack’s hair.

Jack wiped the cum off of his chin and licked it off of his fingers. Cal raised an eyebrow at him, already feeling himself twitch again.

“What about me?” Jack asked innocently, blinking up at Cal with his big blue eyes.

“Give daddy some time to recover and then he’ll have a big surprise for you,” Cal kissed the top of Jack’s head. “Now go clean up and meet me in the bedroom,”

 

It wasn’t long before Cal had Jack under him. Jack barely needed any warming up, and practically tackled Cal when he met him in the bedroom. Cal kissed and bit Jack’s neck, his arms hooked underneath Jack’s knees, pushing Jack’s hips up off the bed.

“ _Aah, Cal…!”_ Jack moaned, clutching the pillow his head rested on.

Cal was driven mad by Jack’s euphoric faces and moans. He reached up and gripped the wooden headboard above Jack to give himself leverage to thrust into Jack even harder. Cal grabbed Jack’s ankle and shoved his leg back even farther with his other hand. 

Jack opened his eyes and stared up at Cal in confusion when he leaned back and changed positions. Cal kept his eyes locked on Jack’s face intensely.

The new position was a success. Jack’s eyes rolled back into his head as Cal moved into him with even more force. 

“ _Oh…god…”_ Jack panted. Cal made a deep growling sound and clenched his jaw to control himself. He could have filled Jack up with his cum right then while Jack’s legs were spread open underneath him, but he wanted to do more first. Cal cupped Jack’s chin in his palm and ran his thumb over Jack’s slightly parted lips before sitting up and pulling out of Jack.

Jack whimpered in dissatisfaction. Cal moved beside Jack and leaned against the headboard. “Come here,” he patted his lap. 

Jack grinned and straddled Cal’s hips eagerly, but Cal held him back. “No. Turn around,” he ordered.

Jack gave Cal a puzzled look, but turned around and straddled Cal backwards. Cal guided Jack’s hips over him and Jack winced as Cal stretched him out from a new angle. Jack was pretty sure what they were doing was reverse cowgirl, cow _boy_ in this case. _This position feels raunchy,_ Jack thought. _It kind of hurts, too…_

“Lean back,” Cal said softly, pulling Jack’s forearms back towards his chest. Jack whimpered as Cal moved inside of him in a way he wasn’t used to. Jack looked down and could see Cal’s thick, red cock entering him. Although the sensation still wasn’t as great, Jack’s stomach fluttered as he noticed just how huge Cal was compared to him, and how he was somehow taking him all the way to the hilt.

Cal reached around Jack and hooked his fingers in Jack’s mouth. Jack instinctively licked and sucked at them. Cal then moved his wet fingers down to Jack’s half-hard cock. Jack gasped and shuddered as ripples of pleasure coursed through his body. 

“See, it’s not so bad,” Cal said, his lips against Jack’s neck. Cal bucked his hips up and Jack screamed as Cal hit the right spot…and hard.

Cal laughed in satisfaction and spread Jack’s legs out. Jack quivered. “You can move a little bit on your own,” Cal suggested, pinching Jack’s chin in his hand and moving his lips towards his. Cal kissed Jack passionately as Jack started to move up and down onto Cal’s cock. 

Jack broke the kiss with a strangled moan only seconds later. “Yeah, you like that, don’t you, you little slut,” Cal hissed. 

“ _Cal…_ ” Jack moaned loudly, gripping the comforter behind him for support. “ _Oh god, Cal…_ ”

“Mmm, yes, baby,”

Jack bucked his hips up erratically a few more times, his legs trembling. “ _Oh god…oh god…Cal, I’m going to—Aaaah!“_

Jack screamed as he came, rocking his hips back and forth over Cal’s cock feverishly. Jack’s perfect orgasm scream and his tight ass grinding over Cal was more than Cal could bear. He gripped Jack’s thighs and held him down as he came inside of him. Jack moaned softly as he felt Cal’s slick, warm cum fill him up and drip between his legs.

Cal was still throbbing with need despite finishing. Before Jack could move off of him, he grabbed one of Jack’s arms and pinned it behind his back, and then pushed him down and held his face to the bed with a hand around the back of his neck. Jack squirmed in discomfort as Cal kicked his legs apart. Cal thrust into Jack without hesitating, the cum already inside of him making entry quick and easy. 

“Cal, didn’t you…” Jack started.

“Shut up, pet,” Cal growled. “Daddy’s not done with you,”

“Mmmm,” Jack groaned into the sheets as Cal took him hard from behind. Jack’s fist closed over the comforter and he arched his back, squeezing his eyes shut.

 

Jack awoke the next morning to an empty bed, having totally forgotten it was Monday. He sighed and rolled over, somewhat disappointed that the fairy tale was over. He sat up and stepped onto the cold, hardwood floor. Since Cal had woken up early and gone to work, Jack felt like he should at least get out of bed and get dressed. _If I’m actually going to be living here long term, I should think about finding a job, or going back to school. Maybe I could afford NYU with Cal’s help…_

Jack pushed his thoughts away, ashamed that he’d even consider asking Cal to pay his tuition, even for just a year. _I’m not with him because I want a sugar daddy,_ Jack reminded himself sternly. He’d already let Cal spoil him with a new phone, laptop, and watch, in addition to some wardrobe additions. With those things, there was no use talking Cal out of it. He’d insisted that having the latest and greatest technology was a necessity, and that he couldn’t let his own boyfriend live without that. Jack had been trying not to feel guilty about it all week, considering he hadn’t had much time for feelings like guilt while Cal was home…

“Looks like I might get to relax today,” Jack muttered to himself as he threw an old T-shirt on. He smiled, knowing that he’d rather be tired and sore if it meant being with Cal.

Jack bounded down the stairs two at a time. It was almost noon already, and he was starving. Cal had kept him up pretty late again. _I don’t know how he does it,_ Jack thought. Before Jack opened the refrigerator he noticed a piece of paper attached to the door with a magnet. (It was obvious because Cal had no magnets or anything on his fridge. Jack made a mental note to change that.) 

 

_Jack,_

 

_I’ve gone home this morning to visit my family. Everything is okay. Sorry this is last minute. I told Cal already, but since you weren’t awake yet I’m hoping you see this._

 

_See you later today._

 

_-Trudy_

 

_That’s fine, I can take care of myself for a few hours,_ Jack thought, pulling leftovers out of the fridge. Jack was holding onto a mountain of Tupperware when there was a hasty knock at the front door. 

He scrambled to put everything down on the counter without dropping anything, and in those few seconds there was another knock, harder this time. 

“Just a second!” Jack called. _Who the hell could that be?_

Jack rushed to the door, but as soon as he opened it, he froze.

“Hi, Jack,” Lovejoy gave Jack a halfhearted smile. “I forgot a few things here last week, can I come in?” he stepped forward.

“Um, sure,” Jack said, stopping back so Lovejoy could come inside. He had his hands stuffed inside his coat pockets, which Jack noted as unusual for him, but then again, everything he did was unusual.

“I’ll just be in the kitchen,” Jack said, turning away. _I should probably tell Cal,_ he thought, pulling his phone out. _If he knew about this he would have told me._

Jack was just about to send a message to Cal when he heard a gun cocking behind him. His blood went cold, his thumb hovering over the send button idly.

“Give me the phone,” Lovejoy demanded. Jack held it forward, his hand shaking, and Lovejoy came around to his side and snatched it out of Jack’s hand. “Now, you’re going to come with me. And if you make a sound…” Jack felt the cold barrel of a gun press against the back of his head. He swallowed. “Got it?” Lovejoy asked, his jaw clenched. 

“Mmhmm,” Jack couldn’t move his head and was too afraid to speak. 

“Good,” Lovejoy grabbed Jack by the arm and shoved him forward, walking close behind him with the gun against his side. Lovejoy led Jack out of the apartment and into the elevator.

“What do you want?” Jack asked hoarsely once the elevator doors closed and they started moving down.

“Let’s just say Cal owes me,” 

The elevator dinged and the doors opened. Jack pressed his lips together to keep himself quiet as Lovejoy pushed him into the parking garage and towards a black sedan. Once they were at the car, Lovejoy opened the back seat and pushed Jack inside, keeping a firm grasp on his wrist as he fell forward onto the seat. Lovejoy pulled a piece of rope from under the carseat and bound Jack’s wrists together tightly. Jack winced as the rough material burned his skin.

“Now, we’re going for a little ride,” Lovejoy smirked at Jack and slammed the car door shut.


	14. Bulletproof Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter gets kind of edgy so if you're not a fan of rape/non-con or violence I'd recommend skipping this chapter. Don't worry, though, I don't write anything too explicitly and often skip over the bulk of the detail.

“Where are you taking me?” Jack demanded. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears and there was a weight like an elephant sitting on his chest. 

“Somewhere…quiet,” Lovejoy said with a devilish grin. He winked at Jack in the rearview mirror. Jack’s stomach churned.

Jack fruitlessly pulled at his restraints, feeling helpless. 

“Aw, come on now, my sweet little Jack,” Lovejoy cooed. “Just relax and do as Uncle Spicer says and you’ll be alright,”

Jack swallowed bile and pressed his lips together, glaring back at Lovejoy who watched him in the mirror. 

 

Lovejoy pulled the van up a dark, winding road off of the freeway that seemed to go on forever. Jack watched out the window as best as he could to try and find any unique landmarks or street signs, anything he could remember, but the road was so rural and it was too dark to see any signs. 

Finally, Lovejoy pulled into a gravel driveway and parked the car. “We’re here,” he sang.

For a few seconds it was silent as Lovejoy slid out of the car and came around to get Jack out of the back seat. Jack could hear his shaking breaths and fought hard to conceal his fear before Lovejoy opened the passenger side door. 

“It’s time,” Lovejoy said as he grabbed Jack’s arm and pulled him out of the car. Jack stumbled onto the gravel and tried to break himself free from Lovejoy’s grasp, but Lovejoy was too strong and his arms were tied together too tightly. 

“There’s no use fighting me, Jack,” Lovejoy taunted, digging in his pocket for a house key. “There’s no one else here for miles,” he turned back and smirked at Jack before unlocking the cabin that they stood before and shoving Jack inside.

Jack stood frozen in the middle of a quaint living room as Lovejoy locked the door behind them. “Where are we?” he asked hoarsely.

“Your boyfriend’s old family cabin,” Lovejoy patted Jack’s back before leading him forward. “Take a seat,” he said, and Jack cautiously sat down in a plush living room chair. Lovejoy finally turned on a light and Jack blinked until he could take in the room around him. There was a deer’s head hanging above the fireplace and framed family photos all over the mantle. His feet were touching a bear skin rug, and the walls of the cabin were a beautiful mahogany with a huge window facing the forest that surrounded them. Under any other circumstances, this place would be beautiful.

Jack swallowed and looked back at Lovejoy. “Exquisite, isn’t it?” Lovejoy asked, walking across the living room and opening a large duffle bag in the corner. “As you can see, daddy loved hunting,” he pulled out a tripod and a camera and started setting it up in front of the fireplace. “They used to spend long weekends and holidays up here,” he pressed a button on top of the camera and a red light turned on. “Cal seemed to have forgotten all about it. Left the spare key with me,” Lovejoy laughed. “Now, say hi, Jack,” Lovejoy cooed as the directed the camera at Jack. Jack scowled back at it.

“What do you want from me?” he demanded.

Lovejoy laughed again. “It’s not what I want from _you_ , dear,” he said, walking back towards Jack. “It’s what I want from your beloved sugar daddy,” he reached towards Jack and Jack flinched away. Lovejoy clicked his tongue at Jack and walked behind the chair he was sitting in.

“Oh, sweet, innocent, Jack,” he put his hands on Jack’s shoulders and Jack immediately stiffened, keeping his eyes on the floor. He would not look at the camera and play into this sicko’s game. Lovejoy dug his fingers into Jack’s shoulders and Jack winced. 

“Let me tell you a story,” Lovejoy said, beginning to stroke Jack’s hair. Jack didn’t move. 

“Once upon a time…there were two men. They practically grew up together, and one would do anything for the other because he owed his family a debt…of sorts. But after all those years the debt was nearly forgotten about, and the two worked together. You see, they had a deal to share everything. A truce. Because of all of the one man’s years of service to the other man’s family, all the things he’d sacrificed for them. And this other man had a secret that his friend kept for him all those years,”

“Ok, so? You want money? You’re angry that Cal fired you and that you can’t use his ‘secret’ against him anymore?” Jack interrupted coldly.

Lovejoy sighed. “He paid me off quite well actually,”

“Then what do you want?” Jack asked tiredly. 

Lovejoy stroked Jack’s hair again. “Well you didn’t let me finish my story,” 

Jack swallowed all the words he wanted to spit at Lovejoy and stayed quiet. 

“One day, the two men came across something they both wanted, so they made a deal to share it. But then, the other man changed his mind and decided to keep it all for himself, even after the promise they’d made to each other to be a _team_ , to share everything as if they were brothers.” Lovejoy sighed and rubbed his temples. “Any idea what that thing was, Jack?” he asked.

“Um…” Jack stammered. He didn’t want to think about all the possibilities. “Rose?” he asked. After all, she was long gone.

Lovejoy scoffed. “Come on, Jack, neither of us wanted that bitch,” he leaned in and stroked Jack’s cheek. “Think harder,” he whispered against Jack’s ear.

Jack’s heart skipped a beat. “Me,” he choked.

“Bingo,” Lovejoy kissed the top of Jack’s head and walked bag towards the duffle bag in the corner of the room. Jack kept his eyes locked on him the whole time.

Jack held his breath as Lovejoy pulled a gun out of the bag and cocked it. 

“Now, Jack,” Lovejoy said calmly, walking behind the camera. “I’m going to take what’s mine,”

Jack’s breath caught in his throat. What exactly did Lovejoy mean by that? Was he going to…Jack couldn’t even think it. “Please…” he said quietly, unable to think of anything else.

“Aw,” Lovejoy teased. “Just think of how this will _break_ him,” 

Jack’s lip trembled. He shook his head slowly, he really couldn’t believe this was happening.

“That is, if he really does _love_ you. After all, that’s what we’re going to find out tonight,”

Jack looked at Lovejoy quizzically. Lovejoy pulled Jack’s cell phone out of his pocket and smirked at the screen. “Look at that, he’s been calling you,”

Jack swallowed as Lovejoy punched a number into the emergency keypad and set it to speakerphone. The phone only range twice before Cal answered.

“Jack?” Cal’s voice was anxious. “Why haven’t you been picking up? Are you okay?” he asked quickly.

Jack’s lip quivered and his eyes burned. He wanted to call out to Cal and tell him that he was okay, or beg him to come and save him. He looked up at Lovejoy pleadingly and Lovejoy put a finger to his lips.

“Jack?” Cal demanded over the phone. “Are you there?”

“Hi, Cal,” Lovejoy answered. The line went silent.

“Lovejoy,” Cal said slowly. “Where’s Jack?”

“He’s here,” Lovejoy smirked at Jack.

“What do you want? Where are you?” Cal growled. “I swear to god if you touch him…”

Lovejoy laughed. “Cal, you know what I want. We had a deal,”

“Give it up, Lovejoy,” Cal said through a clenched jaw.

“I just want to see if you were being honest, or simply greedy,” 

“What the hell does that mean?” Cal demanded icily.

“I’ll give you back Jack, _if_ you bring me…hmmm…five hundred grand,”

“What…” Cal stammered. 

“You heard me, Cal. Half a million dollars for your precious little plaything. We’ll see what it is you truly love,”

“Where the hell are you?” Cal growled.

“Your old family cabin. You seem to have forgotten all about it. Left me the key,” Lovejoy laughed. “Be here with the money in…” Lovejoy glanced at his wrist watch and pursed his lips, “three hours, and I’ll give you your boyfriend back. No cops, no wires, nobody else, just you. And if you violate any of my terms…” Lovejoy looked Jack in the eye and made a slicing motion across his neck, “you can say ‘bye-bye’ to Jack,”

Jack felt tears fall down his cheeks.

“Ok,” Cal said quietly. “But if you do so much as lay a finger on him…”

“That’s not part of the deal,” Lovejoy said.

“Lovejoy…” Cal warned.

“If you have a problem with that…then I might as well just go ahead and…kill him,” Lovejoy pointed the gun at Jack and Jack whimpered.

“Ok, ok. Don’t…just don’t hurt him,” Cal said, his voice strained.

“Good,” Lovejoy lowered the gun and Jack exhaled shakily.

“Let me talk to him,” Cal said. Jack perked up, his eyes darting from the phone to Lovejoy hopefully.

“Hmm,” Lovejoy hesitated.

“No deal unless I know he’s okay,” Cal said.

“Fine, then,” Lovejoy walked over to Jack and held the phone up to him.

“Cal?” Jack said shakily.

“Jack, are you okay?” Cal asked frantically.

“Yes,” Jack swallowed, his throat tightening. 

“Jack, has he hurt you?” 

“No,” Jack’s voice broke. “Cal…” he sobbed.

“Jack, I’m coming. I’ll get you out of there, I promise. Just hold on, okay?”

“Please hurry,” Jack cried.

Before Cal could answer, Lovejoy pulled the phone away.

“That’s enough. Three hours. Five hundred grand. Or Jack gets a bullet in his pretty little head.” Lovejoy ended the call and slipped Jack’s phone back into his pocket. Jack took a shaky breath and glared at Lovejoy.

“Satisfied?” Jack asked.

“Not nearly,” Lovejoy said, walking towards Jack. 

Jack swallowed and tried to sink backwards into the chair as far as he could. “What’s the camera for anyway?” he asked.

“So Cal can watch,” Lovejoy said, gripping Jack’s chin in his hand and raising his head up.

“I want you to show me all the things Cal has taught you. And believe me, I know he’s been teaching you quite a bit,” Lovejoy smirked.

Jack fought the urge to throw up. Instead he pretended not to know what Lovejoy was talking about to buy some time. “What do you mean?” he asked.

“Oh, Jack, you know,” Lovejoy began unbuttoning his pants with his free hand. He slipped his thumb in between Jack’s lips and over his tongue. “Lets see if this pretty little mouth can work as well as it talks, huh?”

Jack closed his eyes. _Please hurry, Cal._

 

Cal hurriedly opened the safe in the wall of his study and pulled out five hundred thousand in cash to stash into a duffle bag. No doubt, Lovejoy knew this was the amount he always kept in cash for emergencies. _That backstabbing piece of…_

“Cal?” a timid voice gasped from the hallway. 

Cal sighed. “You can go home, Trudy,” 

“Sir…” she stammered. 

“Go _home,_ ” Cal hissed as he zipped up the duffle bag full of cash and pushed past her.

“Cal…I…” she hurriedly followed him down the stairs. “ What are you…”

“It’s none of your damn business, Trudy!” Cal turned on his heel and finally faced her. She stepped back, dumbfounded. Cal groaned and rubbed his forehead. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly.

“Where’s Jack?” Trudy asked seriously.

Cal met her eyes, but didn’t say anything. He opened the front door and left, leaving her standing there with a sinking feeling in her stomach. She knew Jack was in trouble, being held for ransom it seemed. Once she finally snapped out of her trance she sprinted to the kitchen and picked up the phone, knowing she had to do something. 

 

“Oh, god, yes,” Lovejoy moaned, gripping Jack’s hair. “Cal sure taught you well,”

Jack kept his eyes squeezed shut as he moved his head back and forth. He tried to pretend it was Cal, although that wasn’t working too well. 

Without warning, Lovejoy held Jack’s head down and finished halfway down his throat. Jack gagged and spat as soon as Lovejoy let him go. Lovejoy clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction. “I bet you swallow for Cal, don’t you? He would never have this behavior from you,”

Lovejoy zipped his pants back up and then lifted Jack’s head up by pulling his hair. Jack winced. “Now, what would he do to punish you for this sort of thing?” he speculated. 

“Go to hell,” Jack hissed. Lovejoy immediately slapped Jack across the face, taking Jack by surprise. 

“You’d never talk back to your master that way,” Lovejoy shook his head. “You better pray Cal shows up soon…” he let Jack go and walked away. Jack hung his head.

“Let’s check on Cal, shall we?” Lovejoy said. Jack looked up.

Lovejoy dialed and Cal answered mid-ring. “Jack?” he asked hopefully. Jack’s heart sunk at the fear in Cal’s voice. 

Lovejoy laughed. “Nope. Me again,” 

“I’m on my way. I have the money,” Cal said.

“That’s great to hear,” Lovejoy winked at Jack and Jack glared back at him. 

“What’s your ETA, then?” 

“You gave me three hours. I’ll be there…”

“Well I don’t want to give you more time than you _need_ ,”

“What…”

“How about I keep my word…three hours until I kill Jack, _but_ I’m feeling a little more playful today. Every hour you’re not here, I do something to Jack,”

“Lovejoy…” Cal growled.

“See you soon,” Lovejoy said before hanging up.

 

“Dammit!” Cal shouted, slamming the steering wheel. He could only imagine the things Lovejoy would do to Jack. It made him sick. He stepped on the gas pedal and veered in between traffic, desperate to save Jack before Lovejoy could defile him any longer.

 

“Lovejoy, look, I’m sorry Cal lied to you, but…” 

“Sshh, relax Jack. It’s not your job to apologize for him,” Lovejoy put a finger to Jack’s lips and then glanced at his watch.

“Looks like Superman is stuck in traffic,” he sneered.

Jack shook his head vigorously. “He’s probably almost here, please…”

“Let’s check in again, if it’ll make you feel better,” Lovejoy pulled out Jack’s phone and Cal answered immediately.

“I’m on my way, please, I can only get there so fast in this damned…”

“A deal’s a deal, Cal. In case you forgot again,” Lovejoy smiled. Jack started to cry in spite of his efforts not to. 

“Too bad you couldn’t get here faster,” Lovejoy hung up and faced Jack again. “Looks like we get to have a little more fun,” 

Lovejoy pulled Jack up by the arm and led him downstairs into a basement. It smelled like old cigarettes and mildew. The entire room was empty except for a pool table covered with a tarp against the back wall. 

“Wait here, darling,” Lovejoy gripped Jack’s chin and kissed his lips before shoving him backwards against the wall.

Jack’s back hit the wall and knocked the air out of him. Coughing, he watched Lovejoy walk back up the stairs and lock the basement door behind him. The whole room went pitch dark as soon as the door clicked shut. Jack slid down the wall and slumped over on the floor, hanging his head in between his knees. _How am I going to get out of here?_ He wondered. _Lovejoy’s going to kill me…or worse…_ Jack swallowed bile that rose into the back of his throat at the thought of what Lovejoy might do to him. _Please save me soon, Cal_ , he begged silently. 

Jack’s heart stopped when he heard the door open again. He snapped his head up as Lovejoy flipped on a light switch by the door and a sad, single light bulb that hung from the wall in the middle of the room flickered on. Jack blinked.

“Ah, that’s better isn’t it,” Lovejoy sauntered back down the steps and placed the tripod from the living room in front of the pool table. He turned the camera on and then pulled the tarp off of the pool table, whistling a lighthearted tune to himself. 

Jack glared up at him as he turned to him and grinned mischievously. “Now the real show starts,” 

Jack flinched as Lovejoy grabbed him by the arm and pulled him up gruffly. He shoved Jack forward against the pool table and held him down with a firm hand to the small of his back. “Look at the camera, Jack,” Lovejoy cooed in Jack’s ear.

Jack closed his eyes. “This is for your beloved Cal,” Lovejoy kicked Jack’s legs apart. 

Jack whimpered, keeping his eyes shut tight. “Please, don’t…” he said shakily.

“I’m only taking what was promised to me,” Lovejoy said innocently, his fingers tracing the hem of Jack’s pants. 

“You can think of Cal if you want,” Lovejoy pulled Jack’s pants down and let them fall to the floor around Jack’s ankles. Jack shivered at the cold air, and at Lovejoy’s rough hands touching his bare skin. 

Lovejoy stroked Jack’s cheek. “So pretty,” he hummed. “No wonder Cal wanted you all to himself,”

Lovejoy ran his hands down Jack’s body and groped his ass roughly. Jack bit his lip and squirmed in disgust. Suddenly a vivid flashback hit him, of the night that felt so long ago now, the night that had been shadowed by memories of Cal. This wasn’t the first time Lovejoy had put his hands on Jack like that. _Of course…_ Jack thought. _He expected…_ Tears stung Jack’s eyes. _What if Cal hadn’t called me back when he did that night?_ Jack wondered. _Would this have been my fate?_

Although Jack felt betrayed by Cal, he still yearned for him to come in and save him from Lovejoy again. 

“If Cal doesn’t come after this, then you might never see him again,” Lovejoy whispered into Jack’s ear. Jack shuddered against the feeling of Lovejoy’s breath on his neck. “Why don’t you take this opportunity to say goodbye,”

Jack’s voice broke, “Please,” he begged helplessly. 

“Aw, why don’t you beg to Cal. This is all his fault after all. Tell him how much he’s letting you down, how selfish he is,” Lovejoy held Jack’s face against the table and directed him towards the camera. Jack finally brought himself to stare into the red light. 

“Cal,” he whispered.

“Speak up, brat,” 

“I love you,” he cried.

“How touching,” Lovejoy said flatly. 

Suddenly Jack felt Lovejoy’s fingers push into him and he screamed and lurched forward. Lovejoy grabbed his hip tightly and held him in place. Jack squirmed against Lovejoy. _If I might die anyway, why not fight back?_ he thought. 

“Stay still, bitch,” Lovejoy growled.

Lovejoy pulled his fingers out of Jack and Jack sighed in relief. Having Lovejoy inside of him felt disgusting, cold, dirty…nothing like what he felt with Cal.

Jack’s relief didn’t last long. He heard unbuttoning and unzipping and his eyes widened in horror as he realized what was about to happen next. There was no way he could fight back, no way he could run. 

“Stay still, and maybe I’ll be gentle,” Lovejoy whispered, grabbing a handful of Jack’s hair. 

Jack squeezed his eyes shut and sobbed quietly as he prepared for what was about to happen. “Cal…” he whimpered.

 

Jack slumped over in the wooden chair that he had been tied to. Tears stained his cheeks and his body ached with the disgusting feeling that Lovejoy had left in him. 

Lovejoy paced back and forth in front of him, Jack’s phone in his hand. “When do you think your boyfriend will call?” he asked Jack teasingly. Jack didn’t look up.

“Cheer up, sweetheart,” Lovejoy teased. “Whether he comes or not, this’ll all be over soon,” he laughed.

A shiver ran down Jack’s spine. If Cal didn’t come within the hour, he was going to get a bullet in the head. He took a deep breath and tried to stop from shaking. He could at least try to go out with some dignity.

Suddenly there was a loud crash from upstairs. It sounded as if someone had kicked in the door. Jack gasped and looked up. _Please be Cal._

“Showtime,” Lovejoy sang, whipping his gun out of its holster. Jack’s phone began to ring at the exact same moment.

Lovejoy answered it tentatively. “Hello, Cal. Looks like you do keep your promises after all,”

Jack strained to hear the other end of the conversation, but Lovejoy didn’t put it on speaker this time. 

Lovejoy walked behind Jack and pointed his gun at the door. Jack’s heart pounded. _What if Lovejoy shoots Cal right in front of me? This all could’ve been a trap…_

Lovejoy dropped Jack’s phone to the floor and pulled something else out of his pocket. Jack heard a knife flip open and his eyes widened. A second later he felt the cold edge of a blade against his neck. 

“You stay perfectly still now,” Lovejoy leaned over him.

Jack’s eyes stayed locked on the door. Finally, he heard footsteps approaching the basement and the door opened.

“Jack?” Cal called, rushing down the steps.

“Cal,” Jack croaked.

When Cal saw Jack and Lovejoy at the back of the room several emotions crossed his face at once, ending with pure rage.

“Let him go,” he growled, glaring at Lovejoy.

Lovejoy cocked his gun. “Ah, ah, careful Cal,” 

Cal stepped closer slowly, his eyes locked on Lovejoy. “I brought you the money,” he held up a duffle bag. “Now give me Jack,”

“Put it down and open it,” Lovejoy demanded. Cal dropped the bag and leaned down to open it. “Slowly,”

Cal never moved his eyes off of Lovejoy’s gun as he unzipped the bag. Lovejoy peered over Jack’s head at the stacks of money in the bag. He nodded slowly.

“We had a deal,” Cal said, standing back up.

“Sure, we did,” Lovejoy said, pressing the blade into Jack’s neck. Jack froze, feeling it cut into his skin. He stared at Cal pleadingly. “If I were you, I’d plan your next move very carefully,” Lovejoy warned.

“I just gave you the money. Now let him go,” Cal ordered.

“You have no idea,” Lovejoy laughed.

“What?” Cal spat.

“You have no idea what it’s like to have everything you love taken from you,” Lovejoy moved the knife up to Jack’s cheek and Jack felt warm blood drip down his neck and soak into the front of his shirt, but he was too afraid to feel the pain. Lovejoy ran the dull edge of the blade down Jack’s cheek softly. “He’s so pretty. It’d be a shame if anything happened to him, wouldn’t it?” Lovejoy sighed. Jack’s breath caught in his throat and he watched Cal intently.

Cal met Jack’s eyes for a second before turning them back to Lovejoy. “Please. You can take whatever you want. But don’t hurt him,” he took another slow step forward.

Lovejoy chuckled and flipped the knife back over so the sharp edge was against Jack’s skin again. He pressed his cheek against Jack’s hair. “Such a shame,” he sighed. “Isn’t it ironic how much power I have over you right now?” 

Cal stayed quiet. “I have the life of the one person you’ve ever truly cared about in my hands, as well as yours,”

“Quit playing,” Cal hissed. “Just give Jack back to me and we never have to see each other again,”

Lovejoy kissed the top of Jack’s head softly and fury burned in Cal’s eyes as he watched. His fingers itched to pull his own gun out and shoot Lovejoy in the head.

“Put your gun down, Lovejoy. We can talk about this,” Cal played along, shooting Jack another brief glance. “And stop hurting Jack, he has nothing to do with this,”

“Doesn’t he?” Lovejoy raised his voice and before Jack could react his gun was pointed down at Jack’s thigh. There was a loud bang and then Jack’s vision went black. His ears were ringing, but he could hear Cal yell and then several more gunshots went off around him.

Jack blinked as his vision came back fuzzy around the edges. He lifted his head and the room seemed to be tilted to the side. Seconds later, he felt the pain. He looked down at his leg and all he could see was red. “Oh god,” he panted. “Cal…” he looked up again and although the room was spinning he could see Cal and Lovejoy across the room throwing punches at each other. _No matter which of them wins I might still die here,_ Jack thought as he struggled to keep his eyes open. _I never thought I’d die tied up in a dusty basement._

Outside, sirens wailed. Jack lifted his head up, thinking he may be imagining it. “You fucker!” Lovejoy yelled through clenched teeth. “I said no cops!” 

Cal had looked away for a split second too long. He’d had Lovejoy pinned down, but while he was distracted by the sirens outside Lovejoy lunged forward, shoving Cal off of him. He rolled to the side and grabbed the gun that Cal had dropped. 

“No!” Cal shouted as Lovejoy pointed the gun at Jack and fired again.

Jack felt something hit him just beneath his shoulder. He jolted backwards, unable to catch his breath, but when he did the pain came immediately. Jack cried out, the edges of his vision turning red. _I’m definitely going to die,_ he thought as he slumped forward. 

Cal lunged at Lovejoy in a fit of rage, tackling him to the floor, unfazed by the fact that he was still armed. Lovejoy swung the butt of the gun up at Cal’s face, but Cal ducked just in time and caught Lovejoy’s arm in the air. Cal punched Lovejoy in the face, feeling his bones crunch underneath his knuckles. 

“I’ll fucking kill you!” he growled, grabbing the gun back out of Lovejoy’s hand as he howled in pain on the floor. “I’ll kill you,” he said again, pointing the gun in between Lovejoy’s eyes. 

Lovejoy squinted up at Cal through swollen eyes, “Do it,” he spat. 

Cal’s chest heaved with rage, but he hesitated. 

“Cal…” Jack whimpered from the back of the room. “Don’t…” he choked.

Cal threw the gun across the room and stood up, giving Lovejoy’s broken body one last kick to the gut. Lovejoy curled into a ball and coughed up blood. Feeling that Lovejoy was incapacitated enough, Cal ran towards Jack.

“Jack,” he cradled Jack’s face in his hands and looked into his drooping eyes. “Jack, I’m sorry. I’m sorry, please stay with me Jack,” he held Jack close to his chest. Jack closed his eyes and listened to Cal’s quick heartbeat. For a second he thought that he could die like this, breathing in Cal’s scent, his face against Cal’s warm chest.

“Jack, baby, please,” Cal begged, his voice breaking. He slipped his jacket off and pressed it against Jack’s bleeding thigh. Jack whimpered softly. 

“Oh god,” Cal whispered hoarsely, watching the blood soak through the jacket in seconds. “Jack,” he patted Jack’s cheek. “Stay awake, Jack, come on,”

Cal’s voice sounded far away. Jack felt like he was drifting away underwater.

Cal picked the knife that Lovejoy had held up to Jack’s face up off the floor and used it to cut the ropes that tied Jack’s hands behind his back and his legs to the chair. Jack felt his restraints come loose and Cal’s arms wrap around him, lifting him up. 

Jack lay limp in Cal’s arms, his breaths growing more and more shallow. “Come on, come on,” Cal breathed, rushing Jack out of the basement and towards help. “Don’t leave me, Jack,” he begged.

Jack could hear Cal’s voice faintly through all the pain and the ringing in his ears. He wanted to be closer to him, not to drift away. He wanted to call out to Cal, but he couldn’t open his eyes or move. To Cal, seeing Jack lay motionless in his arms was just as terrifying. Never in his life had he felt this helpless.

Once Cal made it outside the cabin, the police cars had finally rolled into the driveway. “He’s in the basement!” Cal shouted at the officers who spilled out.

EMT’s ran out of an ambulance with a stretcher and Cal laid Jack down reluctantly. As the medics rushed the stretcher back towards the truck, Cal followed. “Let me stay with him,” he demanded.

The doctors glanced at each other and then nodded at Cal, who climbed into the truck and sat beside Jack as an oxygen mask was placed over his face and tight bandages were applied to his leg and shoulder. Cal took Jack’s pale, cold hand in his own and held it to his lips as the ambulance sped away.

“Will he be okay?” Cal asked weakly. The doctors didn’t answer.


	15. Let Love Bleed Red

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry (or maybe I'm not) for all the edginess, but it looks like our babies are okay and back together. Which means we're back to regularly scheduled fluff and consensual smut. :)

Jack’s eyes blinked open from his peaceful slumber. In his dream he’d been with Cal alone on a beach; just the two of them in the warm white sand without anyone there to bother them or judge them, no work or priorities to take Cal’s attention away from him. 

The lights above him were blinding, and when he lifted his arm to cover his eyes he felt something attached to his skin in the bend of his arm. He stretched his arm out and noticed a needle sticking out of his vein. He stared at it in bewilderment as a sharp beeping grew louder and faster behind him. _I’m in a hospital?_

“Baby, you’re awake?” Cal said softly beside him. _Cal_ …

Upon hearing Cal’s voice, everything came back to Jack all at once. The kidnapping, the cabin, the horrible things Lovejoy did to him, the gunshots…and his last memory was of drifting away from Cal while Cal carried him outside. If he hadn’t just woken up with an IV in his arm he would have thought he’d died.

Jack turned his head and saw Cal sitting at the side of his bed. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days, or shaved. Cal stroked Jack’s face tenderly and Jack smiled weakly.

“How…” Jack tried to talk, but his throat was tight.

“It’s okay, Jack, just rest,” Cal said, stroking Jack’s hair.

Jack swallowed. “I was—I was shot,”

“Yes, honey, you were. Do you—“ Cal swallowed, a pained expression crossing his face. “Do you remember what happened?” 

Jack nodded weakly. “But…I…how am I…” _Alive?_

Cal seemed to know exactly what Jack was going to ask. “Both of the bullets went right through you, and neither hit any major arteries or bones,” Cal smiled. “You’re really lucky,”

Jack laughed once. “I told you,” he said.

“You just lost a lot of blood. But you’re going to be ok,” Cal squeezed Jack’s hand.

“What about… _him_?” Jack asked hesitantly.

“He’s gone,” Cal answered, his tone going cold. “He’s going to be put away for life. You’re safe, Jack, and I promise, I’ll never let anything happen to you again,”

Jack sighed. He almost said, _It’s not your fault_ , but then he remembered the one thing he wished he’d forgotten.

“Cal?” he asked hoarsely.

“Yes, Jack?”

Jack opened his mouth to ask Cal about the “deal”, but he hesitated a second too long and a nurse came into the room. 

“Oh, good, you’re awake,” she smiled. “How are you feeling?”

“Tired,” Jack answered.

“Do you feel any pain?”

“No,”

The nurse looked at the monitor and took some notes on her clipboard. “That’s great. Just press the button if you feel like you need more morphine, okay?”

Jack nodded. 

“Oh, and you have some people here to see you. Would you like me to send them in?”

“Who…?” 

Cal pressed his lips together and patted Jack’s hand before standing up. “I’ll let you talk to them. I doubt they want to see me,”

 

“Jack, you idiot!” Fabrizio burst into the room and flung his arms around Jack. 

“Ow, ow, ow, Fabrizio, I was shot in the shoulder!” Jack laughed.

“Sorry, but holy shit, I thought…” Fabrizio hesitated and caught his breath. “I was so worried,” he sighed.

“I know, I’m sorry,” Jack said.

“Why are _you_ sorry?” Fabrizio asked. 

“Because I left us in such a bad place,” Jack bit his lip. “If anything happened to either of us after all that…I mean, I said a lot of bad things, and I’m really sorry. You’re my best friend and my brother and no matter what happens you always will be,”

Fabrizio sniffled. “Okay, Jack, jeez,” he wiped his eye with the back of his hand. “I love you too, now stop being so mushy. It’s not like you almost _died_ or something,” he laughed.

Jack laughed, too. “Right,” he said.

“So, um, Tommy and I got an apartment together. I know it’s probably not anything like what you’ve been living in with Cal, but we have an extra bedroom, so…”

“Wait, Fabrizio, no…I’m—I’m still with Cal,” Jack shook his head. 

Fabrizio raised an eyebrow at Jack. “Jack?” he scoffed. He leaned forward. “Jack, you were with Cal for _two weeks_ and this happened,” he motioned to Jack’s bandaged shoulder and leg. “Cal is dangerous, Jack. Forget being a complete douchebag, he’s probably a criminal,”

“Fabrizio…no…” Jack rubbed his forehead. “No, it wasn’t…it wasn’t his fault,”

“Maybe he didn’t pull the trigger, but he put you in this situation, didn’t he?”

Jack hesitated. _“This is all his fault after all.”_

“N-no, I’m not leaving Cal,” Jack finally said sternly. 

Fabrizio sighed and patted Jack’s hand. “I’m really worried about you, Jack,” he said softly. “You two have a Beauty and the Beast thing going on. It’s like…Stockholm Syndrome,”

“Jesus, Fabrizio, stop trying to diagnose me with mental disorders,” Jack grumbled.

“It is my job,” Fabrizio gave Jack a faint smile and squeezed his hand one more time. “Anyway, I love you, Jack. Please call me if you need me,”

“Love you, too,” Jack’s throat felt dry. 

“I’ll um, I’ll send Rose in,”

“Wait, what?” Jack asked. “Why is she here?”

“She’s worried. She’s pissed at you, but she doesn’t want you to _die_ ,” Fabrizio joked. 

Jack nodded slowly. “That’s…fair,”

Fabrizio left the room and less than a minute later Rose came in hesitantly. “Hey,” she said awkwardly, lingering in the doorway.

“Hey,” Jack responded flatly.

Rose finally came all the way into the room, but stayed five feet away from Jack’s bed. “Um,” she sighed. “I’m really sorry,”

“About what?” Jack challenged. “You’re not the one who kidnapped and shot me,”

“No, but…” she sighed. “Listen, I haven’t totally forgiven you yet, but…you deserve better than this,”

Jack rolled his eyes. “Rose, I can…”

“No, Jack, listen. Don’t give me any of that ‘don’t try to tell me what’s best for me’ bullshit because I let you lecture me when I was in your position, so stop being such a god damned hypocrite,”

Jack was silent while he let her words sink in. “Okay,” 

“Okay?” she raised her voice.

“I mean, yeah, okay, I’m a hypocrite,” Jack admitted.

“So I thought I’d give it one last shot,” Rose sighed. “Jack,” Jack looked up and met her eyes. “Please don’t put yourself through this any longer. It’ll only get worse. I know he says he loves you, and it might be different with you two since he’s actually… _into_ you and all, but…” she paused and bit her lip. “I’m afraid you’ll either end up a trophy, or—or _dead_ ,” Jack looked up at the ceiling. “Now, before you say I’m being dramatic, remember that you were just kidnapped and shot _twice_ ,”

“Yeah, alright, that’s a valid point,” Jack sighed.

“So please, just _think_ about it, Jack,” Rose pleaded. “I’ll never take you back, but I’ll be there for you, as a friend, if you need help, or if you need a way out,”

“That’s…really nice of you,” Jack said, choosing his words carefully. “But I’m not leaving Cal,”

Rose nodded. “Okay,” she said quietly. He could tell she was disappointed. _But why?_ he wondered. _She just said she doesn’t_ _want me back. What does she have to gain from making me break up with Cal?_

“Bye, Jack,” 

“Bye,” 

Jack watched the door close and then he closed his eyes. _God, I really hope Lovejoy was lying about Cal promising to pimp me out to him…I think I really…I think I love him._

It wasn’t too long before the door opened again. “Hi, Jack,” Cal came back to Jack’s bedside. Jack reached his hand out and Cal took it and kissed it as he sat down.

“Cal?” Jack whispered.

“What’s wrong, Jack?”

“Did you…” he took a deep breath, terrified to ask because he was terrified of the answer, “did you tell Lovejoy that you’d share me with him the night we first met?”

Cal fell silent. Jack’s eyes burned and he turned away, that was enough of an answer.

“Jack, I…”

“Fuck you, Cal,” Jack blurted out. 

“Jack, I didn’t know then…”

“I was just a prize to you all this time. Raping me was all part of your master plan?”

“Jack…”

“No, Cal,” Jack pulled his hand away. 

“Jack, I love you,” Cal pleaded. Jack squeezed his eyes shut and fought the urge to look back. “Jack, I mean it. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. I had no idea how special you’d become to me when I said that,”

“Is it because I’m really special to you, or just that you want me all to yourself?”

Cal stared at Jack, appalled. “Is that what _he_ told you?”

Jack didn’t answer.

“Jack, he was trying to get inside your head, turn you against me,”

“But is it true?” Jack demanded.

“Come on, Jack,” Cal sounded like someone had just punched him in the stomach. 

“I want to be alone right now,” Jack said.

“Jack…” Cal pleaded, reaching out for him again, but Jack pulled away.

Jack jammed the button on his IV drip and a few moments later a nurse came in. 

“Everything okay?” 

“It’s hurting,” Jack said quietly.

Cal stood back and watched helplessly. First he almost lost Jack, and now Jack wanted nothing to do with him. _This is my fault, Jack thinks I don’t love him. How do I prove to him that it’s different now?_

 

Getting rid of Cal proved to be more difficult than anticipated. The most Jack could do was order him to the other end of the room, but he stubbornly refused to go home.

Jack turned on his side, facing away from where Cal sat restlessly sleeping in a chair in the corner of the room. 

_The nerve of this man…_ Jack thought, rolling his eyes. _He’s the last person I want to see right now…that traitor._

Jack closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep within seconds, despite his burning anger towards Cal.

 

_“Mmm, yes, be a good boy,” Lovejoy hummed._

_Jack sobbed quietly into the green carpeting of the pool table, the pain ripping him apart._

_Lovejoy reached forward and pulled Jack’s hair. “I thought you enjoyed this, you little whore,” he growled._

_“I-It’s not the same,” Jack whimpered, his lips trembling._

_“I can’t be your beloved Cal, can I?” Lovejoy sighed, letting go of Jack’s hair and gripping his hips with both hands. “But I can still make you scream just as well,”_

_Jack bit his lip until he tasted blood as Lovejoy slammed into him. ‘I won’t scream…I won’t…’ he thought._

_“Come on, now, stop being so stubborn,” Lovejoy reached around and touched Jack’s cock. Jack squirmed uselessly, his eyes shooting open. He wanted to throw up as his body reacted to Lovejoy’s hand on him._

_“There we go,” Lovejoy leaned forward and kissed Jack’s neck, making Jack shudder in disgust. “You have been trained, now, haven’t you. I knew Cal wouldn’t keep an unbroken pet,” he said Cal’s name venomously._

_“I said you can think about him, and if that’ll help you perform, then be my guest,” Lovejoy licked the back of Jack’s neck before standing back up. Jack whimpered._

_‘I won’t think of Cal…I won’t enjoy this…’_

_“If you don’t want to think of him ‘that’ way, why don’t you tell him how much you wish he were here to save you,”_

_Jack closed his eyes, not wanting to submit to Lovejoy’s requests, but his mind went straight to Cal anyhow. It wasn’t long ago that Cal was taking Jack against his will…but it was different. Cal was warm and gentle, Lovejoy was cold and rough. Jack allowed himself to submit to Cal, but he would never allow himself to submit to Lovejoy, that disgusting old man. Jack winced, trying to block the feeling of Lovejoy inside of him. Then he truly found himself thinking of Cal._

_“Cal…” Jack cried with a broken voice._

_“There we go,” Lovejoy pinched Jack’s soft skin. “Tell him how much he’s letting you down,”_

_“No…Cal…” Jack felt his legs start to tremble and his breathing quickened. “No…”_

_“‘Atta boy,” Lovejoy purred._

_“Cal…” Jack half cried, half moaned as he came._

_“Too bad ol’ Cal can’t take credit for this one,” Lovejoy teased, pushing himself into Jack._

_Jack swallowed vomit that rose into his throat as he felt Lovejoy finish inside of him. “I hate you,” he growled._

_“Yet you still came for me,” Lovejoy clicked his tongue._

 

“Cal…” Jack whimpered, still half asleep. Cal immediately sat up upon hearing Jack awaken. 

“Jack?” he asked quietly, standing up and hurrying over to Jack’s side. He noticed that Jack was still asleep, his face crumpled in distress. He wrapped his arms around Jack’s shoulders and kissed his head softly.

“It’s okay, Jack, I’m here,” Cal whispered. Jack stirred and grabbed onto Cal’s arm. When Cal looked down he saw Jack’s reflective blue eyes shimmering up at him.

“Don’t leave,” he begged weakly.

“I won’t, ever,” Cal held Jack’s head against his chest.

“I was so scared,” Jack’s voice broke. “I thought….I thought you wouldn’t come,”

“Oh, Jack, of course I was coming,” Cal’s heart sunk hearing that Jack doubted his devotion to him. He knew he had to prove himself.

Jack suddenly remembered the blinding red light of the camera watching his every move. “The video…” 

Cal stayed quiet, he’d hope Jack had forgotten about that detail.

Jack pulled away from Cal and looked at him intensely. “Did you…did you see it?” he asked hoarsely.

Cal sighed and kissed Jack’s head, wishing he didn’t have to answer. 

“No…” Jack groaned, putting his hands over his face. “No, no, no…”

“Jack, it’s okay,”

“I’m sorry,” Jack whispered.

“It’s notyour fault, Jack. Don’t ever think that that was your fault,” Cal moved Jack’s hands away from his tear-stained face and looked into his eyes. “It’s my fault for not being there to protect you,”

“You don’t have to…” Jack started, but Cal put his finger to Jack’s lips.

“Of course I do. You’re the most important thing in my life.” 

Jack rested his head on Cal’s chest. _I really want to believe him_ , he thought. 

 

Five days later, Jack was finally able to go home. Although his frustration towards Cal still lingered, he had moved past it enough to let Cal dote on him as much as he wanted. In fact, Jack was milking the opportunity to use Cal’s guilt against him. He wouldn’t admit it, because if asked he’d say that he didn’t want Cal to blame himself anymore, but deep down he knew that the situation had been Cal’s fault. If he hadn’t been so heartless before, if he hadn’t been so trusting of the actual convicted criminal he lived with, if he’d taken better measures to protect Jack from his own stupid promises…none of it would have happened. But it did, and they were both being punished for it.

Jack stared at the raindrops sliding down the window and pulled the blankets over his shoulders. Every time he closed his eyes he saw Lovejoy’s twisted face looming over him. Any time he wasn’t listening to music or talking he heard that fucker’s voice echoing from the deepest depths of his memory. He hated to admit that he was scared. He knew that Lovejoy was gone. He was locked up for kidnapping, rape, and attempted murder. A 25 to life sentence. But Jack still found it impossible to relax until the trial.

“Hi, honey,” Cal came into the bedroom and leaned over the bed to stroke Jack’s hair. Jack frowned.

“Are you hungry? You haven’t eaten anything since you came home,”

“No,” Jack said flatly.

“Come on,” Cal moved to the other side of the bed and knelt down so he was face level with Jack. “You can have Nutella straight out of the jar,” he offered.

Jack rolled his eyes. “I’m not…”

When he looked back at Cal, he was holding a small blue box in the palm of his hand. Jack’s heart stopped. “ _No…_ ” he gasped. _This can’t be what I think it is…this_ idiot!

“Don’t worry, Jack, I’m not proposing,” Cal snickered. Jack sighed in relief.

“Good, because I would’ve said no,” he grumbled. “Then what is this?” he asked.

“Open it and find out,”

Jack reluctantly sat up and took the box out of Cal’s hand. Inside was a silver house key. He looked back at Cal, confused. 

“We’re moving to California. Los Angeles, to be exact,” Cal smiled.

“What?” 

Cal pulled a picture out of his pocket and unfolded it, handing it to Jack. “It was going to be a vacation home, but I asked for a few add-ons since I met you,”

“It’s…a fucking mansion,” Jack gasped. The “house” looked like it was at least three stories. It had a roundabout driveway with a majestic fountain in the middle and palm trees surrounding the edges. 

“So…happy birthday,” Cal placed his hand over Jack’s. 

“Is it…” _No way, already?_

“May 15th,”

“I can’t believe I forgot my own birthday,” Jack laughed feebly. “How’d you even know?” he didn’t remember mentioning when his birthday was to Cal.

“All I had to do was check your Facebook profile, darling,”

Jack nodded. “Right,” he sighed, looking out the window again. _It never rains like this in Los Angeles_ , he thought with a smile.

“It’s also kind of our one month anniversary,” Cal kissed the back of Jack’s hand. “Depending on when you consider our anniversary to be. I knew long before then, if I’m honest,”

Jack swallowed, suddenly feeling like he was going to cry. He could no longer feel angry at Cal for anything, not when he’d been planning all of this the whole time. Screw what he’d said before they got together, he was definitely trustworthy now. He threw his arms around Cal’s neck and buried his face in his shoulder. He wanted to say ‘I love you’ now more than ever, but he bit his tongue.

Cal laughed and pulled Jack closer to him. 

“I never thought I’d say this, but I’m so ready to get out of New York,” Jack said shakily.

“I know. Me too,” Cal rubbed Jack’s back. “We can leave whenever you’re ready. As long as it’s after the trial,”

Jack’s stomach turned at the thought of the trial. “They better hurry up and put him away, then,” he grumbled.

“They will,” Cal kissed the top of Jack’s head. “Now, come on, if you don’t think Trudy started baking a cake as soon as she heard it was your birthday, you’re an idiot,”

Jack laughed and sat back up, wiping tears off of his face with his sleeve.

 

“Okay, now, make a wish!” Trudy squealed. Jack squeezed Cal’s hand before closing his eyes and blowing out the candles. 

“What’d you wish for?” Cal asked.

“If I tell you it won’t come true, you dummy,” Jack nudged Cal with his shoulder playfully.

A camera clicked in front of them and they both turned their heads with wide eyes. 

“Sorry, I couldn’t help it. You two are just too cute,” Trudy laughed.

 

Jack stared down at the glossy photograph that Trudy had printed out for him. Seeing himself from the third person’s point of view, he realized just how happy he was. And Cal. The way he looked down at him so warmly, his arm resting naturally over the back of his chair. Jack felt like he was looking at a picture of a couple he didn’t even know. How was it possible that they could be so perfect together? He sighed and held the picture to his chest, glancing at the other photograph on his bedside table. Their house.

“Do you like it?” Cal sat down on the bed next to Jack, pushing the picture of them that Jack held back so he could look at it.

“Yeah,” Jack said quietly. “We look so…cute,” he smiled.

“You do,” Cal wrapped his arm around Jack’s shoulder and pulled him into his chest, resting his cheek on his soft hair. He figured now was the best time to ask the question that had been nagging at him since the night Jack was kidnapped. 

“So, Jack,” he started apprehensively. 

“Hmm?”

“In the video…” Jack tensed up. “You said you loved me,”

Jack hesitated, his cheeks burning. “I thought Lovejoy was going to kill me,” he said defensively.

“So…it’s not true?” Cal was somewhat disappointed.

“Well…” Jack floundered. “I don’t think saying ‘I love you’ out of the fear that I may die and never see you again counts,”

“Fair enough,” _So now he’s technically said he loves me twice already…_ Cal snickered and wrapped his arms around Jack’s waist. “I guess if making you think you’re going to die is the only way to get you to say it…” he pulled Jack’s head back so he was leaning on his shoulder, looking up at him. “I might be able to get you to say it again,” Cal grinned deviously, then kissed Jack’s lips passionately.

 

“Mmn, Cal,” Jack panted, pushing himself down onto Cal. Cal gripped Jack’s hips and held him down.

“You’re so eager,” Cal breathed. “I bet you missed this,”

Jack squinted down at Cal, his cheeks burning. “Cocky…fucker…”

Cal laughed and thrust himself up into Jack, making Jack yelp. “Even when you were mad at me, you couldn’t help thinking about it, could you?”

Jack refused to answer, looking away from Cal and moving slower. Cal wasn’t satisfied with that. He grabbed Jack by the shoulders and pushed him back so that he was on top of him. Jack blinked at him in surprise, but seemed to forget about it as soon as Cal entered him again.

Cal pushed Jack’s hips back so that his backside was off of the bed and his legs were practically over his head. Cal dug his fingertips into Jack’s thigh hard enough to leave bruises. 

Jack’s eyes shot open and he grabbed onto Cal’s chest as a realization hit him. Cal looked into his wide blue eyes questioningly. “Cal…” he whispered. “This is the first time since…” he swallowed and couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence.

Cal clenched his fist around the blankets by Jack’s head as he realized the same thing. He leaned forward and kissed Jack hotly, wanting to wipe the fear and pain off of Jack’s face. His fingers traced the healing scar on Jack’s neck where Lovejoy’s knife had cut him. Jack wrapped his arms around Cal’s neck and held him close, tears pushing through his closed eyes.

“I’ll undo it all,” Cal said, moving his lips down to the scar on Jack’s neck. Jack whimpered and wrapped his legs around Cal’s waist. He wanted to forget it entirely, like it had never happened, although he knew that was impossible. At least he could forget it for now.

Cal sat up and flipped Jack onto his stomach so he could enter him from behind. He pulled Jack’s hips up off the bed and gripped his waist firmly. Jack buried his face in the bedsheets and tried to imagine Cal rewriting everything that had happened to him. Everything was back to the way it was supposed to be. Jack belonged to Cal, and only Cal.

Cal leaned over Jack and wrapped his arm around Jack’s chest, grabbing ahold of his neck. Jack’s eyes shot open as Cal unexpectedly choked him. To his own surprise, he found himself enjoying it, especially with Cal’s body so close to his. Cal was nearly crushing him, Jack gasped for air. As much as it hurt, when the pain came from Cal, it felt good. Jack knew who he belonged to.

“I’m the only one who can hurt you. And I’m the only one who can bring you this much pleasure,” Cal squeezed the sides of Jack’s neck tighter. Jack gasped, his ears ringing. Cal thrust into Jack even harder, his other hand squeezed around Jack’s thigh like it was a stress ball. 

Jack moaned, “ _Cal…_ ” His voice was strained and broken, but his whimpers and cries were loud enough. “ _Harder…_ ” he begged breathlessly.

Cal snickered and granted Jack’s wish. Jack screamed in response. “You like it from behind the best, don’t you?” Cal cooed. Jack bit his lip, his mouth watering. 

“You little slut,” Cal bit Jack’s ear playfully and Jack shivered. “And you’re all mine,” he growled against Jack’s neck.

Jack screamed as Cal thrust forward again. His legs quivered. “ _Cal…_ ” he whimpered. “I’m going to…”

“Come for me, baby,” Cal held Jack closer and pushed as deep as he could into him. Jack lurched forward and screamed loudly, summing all over the bed. Cal sunk his teeth into Jack’s shoulder as he finished inside of Jack’s tight, warm body. Jack moaned and shuddered as he felt Cal finish inside of him. Cal throbbed inside of him like an extra heartbeat, and before Cal pulled out Jack could have sworn that his own heartbeat began to match the rhythm. 

Jack sighed, melting into the bed, as Cal pulled out. Cal’s cum dripped down the insides of his thighs, and Cal sat back and admired the sight. His cock twitched again, and he quickly turned away before he could get hard again. He didn’t think Jack could take a second round so soon. 

Jack collapsed onto his stomach as Cal stood up. “Feel better?” Cal asked. Jack didn’t even make a sound in response. 

“Jack?” Cal asked, brushing Jack’s messy hair back. Cal smirked, Jack was fast asleep. He draped a blanket over Jack’s back and kissed the top of his head softly before leaving the room to go clean up.


	16. Alone and Watch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fluffiest thing I've ever written. I regret nothing. :p

“This is pretty bad,” Trudy whispered, holding the remote to her lips and tapping her foot nervously. “He shouldn’t see this,”

Cal glared at the television as if he could light it on fire. “Those god damned journalists…even after paying them off…” he fumed.

“Did you _really_ think bribing the media would work?” Trudy’s eyes widened when she turned to Cal. In the last few weeks, she’d felt much more comfortable around her boss. She used to be terrified of him, but after seeing his tenderness towards Jack, she knew that he was actually quite harmless. And her budding friendship with Jack was enough to secure her job. 

Cal faced her with an incredulous look, rendered speechless at her mouthiness. “Well…y-yes,” he stammered painfully.

“Oh, Cal, you’re much more naive than you let on,” Trudy groaned, shaking her head at the TV. 

Cal huffed and rolled his eyes. “How do we keep him from finding out? This is the last thing he needs,”

Trudy sighed and shrugged her shoulders. “It’s not realistic assume he won’t find out on his own. I mean, the internet exists,” she laughed weakly. 

“What won’t I find out?” Jack asked icily from the stairway. Cal spun on his heel and Trudy scampered into the kitchen to avoid the inevitable fallout.

“Jack?” Cal forced an easy smile and glanced around desperately for the TV remote. _Dammit, Trudy took it with her, that scheming little…_

Jack pushed past Cal and stared up at the TV, a horrified look glazing over his face. The news story covered Lovejoy’s trial, and he and Cal were mentioned as the victims. Live footage showed Lovejoy dressed in an orange jumpsuit and chains sitting in the courtroom. His stone-cold eyes glared directly at the camera, making Jack step back in shock.What was worse, pictures of he and Cal walking off of the ship together flashed across the screen. Unfortunately, Lovejoy’s case had made their entire relationship public news.

Cal put a hand on Jack’s shoulder. “Jack…it’ll all blow over soon,” he said helplessly. Jack shook his head, unable to look away from the screen. “We’ll be out of here soon,”

“How are you so calm about this?” Jack asked. “Won’t this hurt you more than it does me?”

“A little scandal is nothing,” Cal reassured Jack easily, even though he wasn’t sure he believed it himself. “It’s not like I was expecting us to be a secret for very long,” he squeezed Jack’s shoulder.

Jack swallowed and finally ripped his gaze away from the TV. He looked up at Cal with watery eyes. “I’m sorry…” he whispered.

“Jack,” Cal cupped Jack’s chin in his hand and looked into his eyes endearingly. “None of this is your fault,” he said softy. Jack wrapped his arms around him and buried his face in his chest. Cal held Jack close and pressed his lips against the top of his head.

Trudy peered out of the kitchen doorway once she heard their silence. Cal shot her a heated look, but all she did was wink in return. She turned the TV off with the remote she’d been hiding and then slipped back into the kitchen to finish making breakfast. Cal rolled her eyes, _What am I going to do with her,_ he thought, but he couldn’t deny that she was quite intuitive.

Barely a minute later Cal’s cell phone blared from his pocket. Jack let go of him and stepped away. “Who is it?” he asked as Cal’s face fell as soon as he looked at the screen.

“It’s, um, my dad,” Cal said hesitantly.

“Are you going to answer?” Jack asked quietly.

“I should,” Cal sighed, answering the call and holding the phone up to his ear, preparing himself for a bout of his father’s angry shouting.

Cal stepped away from Jack, not wanting him to hear his father’s spiteful words, and started up the stairs towards his office. “Yes, father,” Cal sighed, closing the door behind him.

Instead of shouting, his father’s voice was weaker and breathless. “You…idiot, son! You told me this wouldn’t be a big spectacle, now look what’s all over the news! And why didn’t you tell me you fired Lovejoy?”

“You sound awful,” Cal stated.

His father coughed painfully on the other end of the call, a fit that lasted nearly an entire minute. “Father?” Cal asked, oddly concerned. 

“Hello, son,” his mother’s warm voice responded. “Mom, is dad…”

“He’s not doing well, I’m afraid,” she sighed. “He’s still refusing treatment, that stubborn old man,” 

“Treatment?” Cal asked hoarsely. He knew his father was old and senile, but otherwise he always bragged about being ‘healthy as a horse’ despite a prominent beer gut. 

The line went silent. “Mom?” Cal asked seriously, pacing the room.

“I thought he told you the last time you spoke,” she sighed. “He was so worked up…I assumed…”

“What’s going on?” Cal demanded.

“Son…your dad was diagnosed with lung cancer a few months back,” Cal’s mother said somberly. 

Cal felt like he’d been punched in the face. _Why didn’t he tell me?_ he thought. He should have felt relieved, elated even, to hear that his father was finally on his way out. This meant that he’d definitely get the company, and he could stay with Jack without anyone getting in their way. He knew he’d timed everything right, with his father’s old age and lack of any other heirs, but if he’d known it would be this much easier…

“Cal, honey, are you okay?” his mother asked tenderly. “I’m sorry, I truly thought he’d told you,” she sighed.

“I-I’m okay, mom,” Cal said, his voice softening. He could never stay angry with his mother. That man had put her through so much, but she had always been nothing but supportive of him. He wondered if his father had told her about Jack.

“You’re lucky he was so generous with you,” she said, a smile turning the corners of her lips up enough that it could be heard in her voice. “As hard as he is on you, he’s really proud of you, Cal,”

Cal felt something tighten in his chest, but he quickly pushed the feeling away. He didn’t believe it. It was just his mother trying to make him feel better about the news. His father had always been a cold, selfish motherfucker.

“I know you _think_ you had everything planned, you’re just like him,” she laughed. Cal sneered, those words piercing his chest. “But I bet you never saw this coming, huh? At least not now. I bet he wouldn’t have been so tolerant of your plans if he wasn’t…well, dying,”

_So she did know._ “Yeah,” Cal said flatly, staring out the window over the bustling city beneath him. 

“Well, Jack sure is cute. I’d love to meet him,”

Cal scoffed, surprised by his mother’s openness to his new relationship. “Maybe after dad…”

“Oh, hush,” his mother scolded. “What can he do? He can’t even raise his voice anymore. I think this entire experience has humbled him a bit. I think it would be beneficial to you both if he met the person you’re _truly_ serious about before he…you know…” her voice became somber.

Cal sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Jack is…hard not to like,” 

“Of course. And you’re doing such a great job running the company. He never says it, but believe me, your father is proud. He could never replace you,”

“That’s…what I thought,” Cal admitted, although his mother’s kind words still stirred his heart.

“Okay, now. I better get back to your father. Calm him down. The stress isn’t good for him. I’m sure this trial thing will blow over soon, though. To be honest with you, I never did trust Lovejoy,”

Cal laughed once. “I wish I’d seen that earlier, too,”

“Goodbye, son,” 

“Bye, mom,”

Cal ended the call and rested his head against the edge of the window. His father was sick, and without treatment he probably wouldn’t make it to the end of the year. Should he subject Jack to his judgement so soon in their relationship? As carefree as Jack seemed, after all he’d just been through…

“Cal?” _Speak of the devil._

“Yes, honey?” Cal quickly moved away from the window and offered Jack his best fake smile.

Jack saw right through him. “What’s going on?” he asked.

“Well,” there was no use lying to Jack. “My father is sick,” Cal sighed.

“Oh,” Jack said quietly. “I’m so sorry…”

“Don’t be,” Cal stroked Jack’s cheek. “He was an awful man,”

“But…he’s still your dad,” Jack gave Cal a concerned look.

Cal didn’t know any other way to make Jack feel less sympathetic. Sympathy was what Jack was all about. Seeing the sorrowful look on Jack’s face was too hard for Cal. He turned away and stared out the window again. 

“You don’t have to push your feelings away,” Jack stepped beside him and put his hand on his arm.

“All this time, I’ve been waiting for him to kick the bucket,” Cal laughed ironically. “And now it’s finally happening,”

“But…”

“But I’m not as happy about it as I thought I’d be,” Cal admitted.

“Because he accepted you even after…”

“Not just that. I already knew he would. He had no choice, I’m his only heir, and I’ve been holding the company up so well during his retirement,”

“Your father is dying. And no matter how awful he was, it’s still sad,” Jack said matter-of-factly.

“I guess so,” Cal sighed, still unsure. “More importantly, my mother wants to meet you,”

“Oh?” Jack asked, fear crossing his face briefly.

“You don’t have to meet my parents if you don’t want to,” Cal said quickly.

“No, I—I do,” Jack said, his face lighting up.

“Don’t get your hopes up,” Cal said. “As charming as you are, my father is impossible to please. And he’s quite homophobic, as you know. It’s not a guarantee that they’ll like you,”

“I don’t care if they like me. If we’re serious…then they’re as much my family as they are yours, right?” Jack looked up at Cal hopefully. Cal didn’t know how to tell him any different.

Cal pulled Jack closer to him, realizing that he was probably so excited about meeting his parents since he didn’t have his own. He couldn’t let him down, but he also didn’t want it to crush him if they didn’t accept him. 

 

Cal’s family weren’t the only people who frantically called them during the trial. Several of Cal’s former socialite friends had been stalking them even more than the media. It was hard to tell if they actually cared or if they were putting on an act to convince Cal that they were still on his side. Gay or straight, Cal was a good acquaintance to have to boost one’s social status. 

After answering several dramatic calls to reassure everyone that they were both okay, Cal finally sat down next to Jack with a heavy sigh. 

“Being popular is hard, isn’t it?” Jack teased.

“You’re the one they’re all asking about,” Cal said defensively.

“Really?” Jack shook his head at Cal, not believing it.

“I’m serious! They all remember you, Jack. When they heard you were kidnapped and shot, they couldn’t believe anyone would do such a terrible thing to you,”

“Who called, then, exactly?” Jack asked curiously, taking a sip of his coffee like it didn’t really matter.

“Molly, Mr. Andrews, pretty much everyone you met,”

“Wow,” Jack smiled. “They like me more than you,” he joked.

“They probably do to be honest,” Cal chuckled. 

“Did you tell them we’re moving to California?” he asked.

“I mentioned it to a few people. They’re all sad to see us—well, just you, really—go,”

“Ha!” Jack laughed out loud. “I never would have imagined,”

“In fact, we’ve been invited to another dinner party as sort of a send-off. We don’t have to go, though. To be honest I’m not very attached to these people…”

“We can go,” Jack said quickly.

“So you hear that you’re popular with the rich crowd and now you’ll jump at the first opportunity to please them?” Cal teased.

“I’m _literally_ living with you!” Jack laughed, punching Cal in the shoulder lightly. “And besides, I think it would be a good way to get my mind off of the trial,” 

Cal’s face fell at the mention of the trial. 

“I mean…I’m getting kind of restless just sitting around the house all day. And I think the media’s given up on trying to get a picture of us leaving the apartment. They’re all raiding the courthouse now, anyway,”

Cal nodded. “Okay, I can’t argue with that,”

Jack hugged Cal’s arm and rested his head on his shoulder contentedly. Cal smiled and wrapped his arm around Jack’s waist. _What am I going to do with you, Jack? My little socialite,_ he thought. 

 

Jack hadn’t expected to break in his new suit so soon, but now he stood in front of the bathroom mirror admiring himself after slicking his hair back. “I’m glad I got the blue one,” he called to Cal, who was still in the bedroom. “It’s cuter,”

“You’re what makes it cute,” Cal came in and stood behind Jack and wrapped his arms around him. Jack smiled, now admiring them both in the mirror. 

“We’re going to be the hottest couple there tonight,” Jack said confidently.

“Of course,” Cal kissed Jack’s head and then turned him around so that they were facing each other. He gave Jack a long once-over and then leaned in to kiss him. Jack kissed him back enthusiastically, playfully biting his lip. Cal pushed Jack back against the counter and moved his thigh in between Jack’s legs. 

“Cal, we’re going to be late,” Jack breathed as Cal started kissing Jack’s neck heatedly.

“Haven’t you ever heard of being fashionably late?” Cal asked, pushing Jack back even more.

“Cal, we can’t…” Jack tried to push Cal away.

Cal laughed. “Why not?” he unbuttoned Jack’s shirt.

“What if I get my jacket dirty?” Jack asked. Cal pulled Jack’s jacket off of his shoulders and set it gently on the towel rack. 

“Problem solved,” he smirked. Jack rolled his eyes, but couldn’t help grinning as Cal started undressing himself.

“And we literally just got dressed,” Jack sighed as he slipped out of his pants. 

“It’s your fault for being too cute,” Cal pinned Jack back against the countertop as soon as they were both undressed.

Jack chuckled and wrapped his legs around Cal’s waist. “Then hurry up and fuck me so we can get going,” he faked impatience.

Cal kissed Jack hungrily, holding him down against the marble countertop. Jack moaned eagerly, holding onto Cal’s shoulders. Cal was inside of him in seconds, and Jack buried his face in Cal’s neck to muffle his scream. 

“Look at me,” Cal ordered. Jack pulled back and looked at Cal through misty eyes, his cheeks burning.

“Why are you acting so shy, now?” Cal asked, kissing Jack’s jaw softly.

“Sometimes it’s just… _ah_!” Cal wrapped his arms around Jack’s waist and pulled him into him as he picked up his pace. “Yes?” he prodded.

It was harder for Jack to remember what he was going to say, but miraculously he found his words. “I…still can’t believe I’m with you,” he said, his arms draped around Cal’s shoulders as he stared into Cal’s warm eyes. 

Cal hesitated, soaking in Jack’s words and the lovestruck look on his face. “Me neither,” he finally answered, before diving in to kiss Jack’s neck.

Jack moaned and clung to Cal as he fucked him. Cal grabbed Jack’s hair and held him close to his chest. Jack was so perfect, Cal was still thrilled to call him his. Cal couldn’t believe he’d found Jack in the strangest of circumstances, and Jack was just a nobody to him. But he was so beautiful and so endearing, it was no surprise that in less than a week he owned Cal’s heart.

“ _Cal,_ ” Jack moaned. Cal pulled Jack’s hair and bit his neck, hooking his arm under Jack’s knee and lifting his leg up so he could get a better angle. Jack seemed to like it, and pulled back to kiss Cal passionately, his fingers tangling in Cal’s hair.

Cal kept kissing Jack even when Jack moaned and shuddered underneath him. Not long after, Cal broke their kiss to bury his face in Jack’s neck as he came. Jack moaned in satisfaction, leaning his head back against the mirror. Cal stood up as soon as he caught his breath. “Glad I tempted you?” he smirked.

“Cocky bastard,” Jack panted, although he couldn’t stop himself from grinning. 

“Come on, hurry up and get dressed. You’re the one who was so worried about being late,” Cal teased.

Jack hopped off of the counter and started hastily pulling his clothes back on. As he was buttoning his shirt he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. “Cal, you messed up my hair!” he started coming it back with his fingers, but Cal took his hands in his.

“I like it better this way,” Cal turned Jack’s head so that he was facing him and pushed a few strands of his golden hair out of his face. He smiled warmly as he stared into Jack’s shimmering blue orbs and caressed his cheek in his palm. Jack put his hand over Cal’s and leaned into his embrace. He closed his eyes and let himself soak in the feeling of Cal holding him.

“Hey, guys,” Trudy cleared her throat loudly from the bedroom doorway, making them both snap out of their trance. “Have you forgotten already? You’re going to be _un_ fashionably late if you don’t leave now!”

“We’re coming!” Cal called back impatiently. Jack laughed and pulled his jacket on. Cal took Jack’s hand and they walked out of the bedroom together.

 

 

“So, Jack,” another person who Jack didn’t recognize spoke up across the table. “How are you liking Cal’s penthouse? I’m sure it’s like nothing you’ve seen before,”

Jack stifled a smirk at the unintentionally rude question, and decided to just play along. “It’s so big. I had no idea two-story apartments even existed,” he said in a ditzy voice. He looked over at Cal and winked. Cal took a sip of his champagne to hide his smirk.

Everyone except Molly seemed completely oblivious to Jack’s trophy wife facade. 

“So you’re moving to Los Angeles?” another person asked. “Are you excited?”

“Oh, yes!” Jack exclaimed innocently. “I love California,”

“So you’ve ben to California before?”

Jack nodded with a smile. “I lived there for awhile. The weather is so nice,”

“It’s expensive though, isn’t it,” a woman sneered. Several people shot her warning glares. Jack recognized her as Madeline, the pregnant mistress. No wonder she was being so icy, she was probably jealous that Jack and Cal could have what she still had to hide. That and Jack obviously couldn’t get pregnant. Jack couldn’t help but feel sorry for her, so he brushed her comment aside.

“I’ve been building a vacation home there for the past year,” Cal piped up, directing the attention back to him. “Of course, when Jack and I moved in together, I made a few additions to the original blueprints,” Cal and Jack smiled at each other goofily, putting on a show for the table. It wasn’t hard to act like a goofy, lovesick teenager, though, because to an extent it wasn’t an act at all.

A few people a the table cooed. “You two sure are adorable,” someone said. “I’m so glad Rose brought you together after all,”

_I guess if that’s what they think happened…_ Jack bit back a laugh.

“When are you guys leaving?” Molly asked, slightly less captivated by them than the rest.

“As soon as the trial is over,” Cal said, his voice a little colder. Jack squeezed his hand under the table.

“Again, we’re so sorry about what happened,” Mr. Andrews shook his head.

“You don’t need to be sorry, it wasn’t anyone’s fault. Well, the person who is to blame is behind bars now anyway,” Jack said lightly.

Luckily dessert came out before the trial could be discussed any further. Jack eyed the decadent sweets on the table hungrily, prepared to shamelessly devour everything he wanted. He had to admit, dinner party round two was much more enjoyable without having to worry about what everyone thought of him. 

After dessert, Cal stood up to go into the lounge room with the rest of the men. “I guess I’m staying here because I’m obviously the bottom,” Jack whispered as Cal patted his shoulder. Cal chuckled and kissed Jack’s cheek before leaving the room. Jack watched him walk away dreamily. Coming here had been a good idea, they were both already forgetting about everything that had happened and focusing on their future together.

“Jack,” Molly slipped into Cal’s seat once all the men had left the room. She sounded persistent, her voice lowered.

“Hi Molly,” Jack smiled. He was happy to see her again, although he hoped she wasn’t as upset about the situation as his other friends were. 

“Now that everyone’s gone, be honest, are you really happy? Are you okay?” she asked urgently, putting a hand on Jack’s arm.

“Wh-what?” Jack stammered. “Molly, I’m—I’m fine,” he reassured her. “I don’t know what you think, but…I chose Cal. We don’t have any obligations to each other,”

“Even after all that happened?” she asked incredulously. “Jack, you almost died because of a situation he put you in,” she spoke sharply, making Jack recoil in surprise.

“It wasn’t his fault,” Jack said weakly.

“Do you really believe that?” Molly snapped, her voice still lowered.

Jack pressed his lips together and stared back at Molly intensely, hurt that she didn’t believe him, just like everyone else he once trusted. 

Finally, she sighed and her face softened. “Look, Jack, I’m sorry. I just worry about you and him,” she glanced at the door that lead into the other room where Cal and the other men had went. 

“Why?” Jack asked, knowing what her answer would be, but wanting her to say it to his face. 

“Jack, Cal is extremely dominating. He might seem like an angel now, but after awhile I worry that he’ll just be trying to control you,” Molly explained. 

“I’ve heard that one before,” Jack said flatly, finishing the rest of his champagne in one sip.

Molly raised her eyebrows at Jack. “I just care about you, Jack. I don’t want to see you stuck in the same situation that you fought so hard to get Rose out of,”

That hit Jack hard. He gaped at Molly, unsure how to respond. Luckily, he didn’t have to, because the other women moved in closer to them and began asking Jack all sorts of questions about how Cal was in bed. 

 

“I think we’re the first gay couple any of them have ever met,” Cal smirked, Jack hanging onto his arm, as they walked into the cold night to wait for the valet to bring their car to them. 

Jack laughed. “Obviously. Did they ask you a bunch of questions about how we have sex, too?”

“N-no,” Cal stared at Jack in shock. Jack laughed out loud, but before he could say more the valet brought their car to the curb and he launched himself into the passenger seat. Cal glared at Jack impatiently through the tinted window before walking around to the driver’s side to retrieve the keys.

Jack giggled as Cal climbed into the driver’s seat and shut the door behind him. “You little shit,” Cal growled playfully, unable to stay annoyed with Jack for long. He reached across and grabbed Jack’s arm, making Jack squeal and try to pull away. Cal leaned over and grabbed Jack around the waist with both hands, Jack yelped and then broke into laughter. Cal pressed his lips against Jack’s neck softly and Jack’s laughter quieted down into a contented purr.

A knock against the passenger side window made them both jolt out of their comfortable position. They looked at each other before Cal apprehensively rolled down the window.

“Did I interrupt something?” Molly’s eyes darted between the two of them, her lips pressed into a fine line and her arms crossed over her chest. Heat rushed to Jack’s face and he wiggled out of Cal’s arms. Cal moved back slowly, his eyes locked with Molly’s.

“No. Do you need something?” Cal asked her coldly.

Molly leaned against the open window. “I just wanted to let you both know that if you really are happy together, then I’m happy for you,”

Cal and Jack were speechless for a few seconds. Cal stiffened against Jack’s back and kept his eyes on Molly as if she would attack at any moment. Jack relaxed his shoulders, knowing exactly why she had come back to reassure them. 

“Thanks, Molly,” Jack said quietly. “That means a lot,” he smiled.

Molly smiled back at Jack, but there was still concern in her eyes. She patted Jack’s shoulder and leaned away from the car. “Take care, Jack,”

Jack smiled and waved to her as Cal rolled the window back up. “What does she want?” he muttered, glaring out the window as he drove the car forward.

“She’s just worried,” Jack sighed.

“Did she say something to you?” Cal asked defensively.

“She doesn’t believe that we’re really together just because we like each other,” 

“That’s…” Cal started, gripping the steering wheel so tight that his knuckles turned white.

“Hey, it’s nothing,” Jack reassured him quickly. “She’s just close with Rose, and worried about me, that’s all. But it looks like I convinced her,” he glanced out the window as Cal sped the car through the gates.

“She’s not convinced,” Cal fumed. 

“Who cares?” Jack exclaimed. “If they don’t want to believe that we’re happy together, then who cares? We’re leaving anyway,”

Cal sighed, staring at the road ahead intensely. “You’re right,” he finally said. “We’re getting out of here for a reason,”

Jack nodded and sunk back into his seat. He hoped that in California no one knew who they were, or about their history, so they could start over with a clean slate. 


End file.
